Novak Djokovic: Olympic gold as a big goal - in singles and mixed?
Novak Djokovic wants to get his first gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo - and could therefore also compete in the mixed competition.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Jul 20, 2021, 01:05 pm
The big question in the run-up to the Olympic Games was: Will Novak Djokovic start in Tokyo after the exhausting Grand Slam tournaments in Paris and London? Ultimately, the 20-time Grand Slam winner decided to make his way to Japan and aim for his first gold medal.
Shortly before leaving for Tokyo, the world number one left no doubt about his ambitions in an interview with the Montenegrin news agency MINA. "Winning a medal is my goal: It's no secret that I am aiming for Olympic gold, "said Djokovic.
Mixed with Nina Stojanovic planned
Although he was anything but happy about the empty bleachers, a conversation with the former Croatian athlete Blanka Vlasic, who won precious metal twice at the Olympics, would have opened his eyes, so Djokovic: "She told me that people are in the end will remember who won the medals for their country and not what the conditions were or whether there were spectators in the stands or not. "
This is probably one of the reasons why Djokovic wants to start in mixed doubles in addition to the singles competition. As Nina Stojanovic announced, she will "most likely" compete at the side of the world number one. However, it is questionable whether the two will even make it into the main competition. Because the combined ranking of the Serbs (1 for Djokovic / 42 for Stojanovic) could - depending on the other pairings - be too high. No final entry list has yet been published for the mixed competition.
Olympia and US Open as big goals
Djokovic will, however, forego an appearance in the men's doubles. After all, the calendar is exhausting enough anyway, explained the 34-year-old. Why is he still competing in Tokyo? "I'm going to play the Olympics because of my patriotism and my feelings towards Serbia."
The possible Golden Slam - i.e. victory at the Olympics and all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year - should also play a not insignificant role. But he doesn't want to focus on the US Open until after his appearance in Tokyo, so Djokovic: "The Olympic Games and the US Open are my two big goals for the remainder of the season, even if it will be very demanding: I am full of confidence and very motivated to represent Serbia in the best possible way. "