After a number of big names pulled out of the upcoming Olympics, Novak Djokovic’s participation will be a big boost for tennis fans across the world.
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World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has confirmed that he will be a part of the Serbian team in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. On the back of his impressive 2021 year, the Serbian looks to continue his dominant season in Asia. The 34-year-old will be heading into the Japanese capital after bagging his sixth Wimbledon men’s singles title on Sunday. He has matched the Grand Slam tally of his great rivals – Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Spain’s Rafael Nadal – on the back of a 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 final victory over Italian Matteo Berrettini at The Championships.
Posting on Twitter, Novak Djokovic said, “Cannot disappoint my little friend Koujiro. I booked my flight for Tokyo and will proudly be joining #TeamSerbia for the Olympics. I am very proud to pack for Tokyo and join our national team in the fight for the brightest medals on the Olympic arenas. For me, the game for Serbia has always been a special joy and motivation and I will do my best to make us all happy! Let’s go.”
The Serbian, who has already clinched his ninth Australian Open crown in February and a second Roland Garros title last month, has a good chance of claiming the calendar-year Grand Slam, with only US Open left. He has also kept alive the opportunity to become the first man to ever complete a golden Grand Slam. Back in 1988, legendary female tennis player Steffi Graf won a gold medal and all four majors.
After his sixth Wimbledon title on Sunday, Djokovic joined Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 Grand Slam singles titles. The Serbian, who won his first major title at the 2008 Australian Open, was expected to end Federer and Nadal’s duopoly in tennis. More than a decade after his first major victory, the Serbian has equalled the Grand Slam tally of his generation’s other two major rivals.
Novak Djokovic, who became the first singles player to qualify for the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, bagged a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Tokyo Games will be his fourth Olympics after a fourth-place finish at London 2012, where he was Serbia’s designated flag-bearer and was knocked out in the first round by Juan Martin del Potro at Rio 2016.
Roger Federer recently announced his withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics due to a setback with his knee. The Swiss maestro made the announcement on social media, stating that he intends to return to the ATP Tour later this year after undergoing rehabilitation. “During the grass court season, I unfortunately experienced a setback with my knee, and have accepted that I must withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games,” Federer wrote.
He was the latest big name to withdraw from the Olympics. Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios, Bianca Andreescu, and Simona Halep were the others to pull out of the Summer Games, which is set to begin on July 23. It is to be noted that Nadal had pulled out of Wimbledon and also the Tokyo Games in order to extend his time in the sport.
