Novak Djokovic on pressure at the Olympic Games: "I felt it firsthand"
Novak Djokovic is the big favorite to travel to Tokyo for the gold medal at the Olympic Games. Nonetheless, the Serb is aware of the special circumstances of the event.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Jul 21, 2021, 10:30 am
Novak Djokovic's self-confidence could hardly be much higher at the moment. The Serb has played his last 14 matches on the ATP tour at the Grand Slam tournament - and won all of them. In total, the world number one is undefeated in 18 games, most recently Rafael Nadal managed to defeat the man from Belgrade in the final in Rome.
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It is well known that Rafael Nadal will not travel to Tokyo to fight for Olympic gold. The Mallorcan is the most prominent of a veritable flood of cancellations for the not undisputed major event in Japan. The competition for Djokovic is tough, as the 20-time Grand Slam winner knows: "Although some players do not come from the top, there are also a lot of elite players who fight for medals: Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev are among the favorites. "
Djokovic knows about pressure
Even more than the competition, Djokovic emphasizes that the increased pressure at the Olympic Games in particular could become a stumbling block. "Also, the Olympic Games are special in terms of pressure, expectations and emotions - everything is different compared to other tournaments and I know that very well, I've felt it myself in the past. So I'll try the Olympic Games as well like other tournaments, so that I can stay focused on my goal, " Tennis Majors quoted the world number one.
Nonetheless, nothing counts for the industry leader in Tokyo except the gold medal - Djokovic makes no secret of that: "I've also won a lot of games lately, which always gives you additional self-confidence and a boost of energy. For me, playing for my country is that." the highest honor and a privilege. I am still missing Olympic gold. I have the highest ambitions in Tokyo, it is no secret that I am aiming for the gold medal. "
Hard schedule
The schedule of the world number one is extremely demanding in the last (and also to come) weeks. Only one and a half weeks ago the Serb triumphed at Wimbledon, four weeks earlier the final of Roland Garros rose. And after the Olympics? The US Open is already ante portas. Djokovic knows that the schedule is tough: "The schedule is really tough, but I have the feeling that my preparations were good."
Although you have to make some compromises in the short time - and of course you have to balance family life with sport, the man from Belgrade could speak of a successful preparation: "The preparations were great, I had a really good hit partner, I am Both physically and tennis-wise ready. The weather was also incredible, we trained in a nice atmosphere, that gave me positive energy. " A positive energy that Djokovic should now lead to a missing piece of the puzzle. To the Olympic gold medal.