July 01, (THEWILL) – Novak Djokovic, the 36-year-old Serbian tennis player, is eyeing Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles and aiming for a 24th major as he pursues a calendar Grand Slam, a feat that has not been achieved in 54 years.
Having recently surpassed Rafael Nadal with 23 Grand Slam titles at the French Open, Djokovic is expected to dominate the All England Club as he begins his title defence on Monday. Already having secured victories at the Australian Open and Roland Garros this season, a win at Wimbledon would bring Djokovic closer to replicating Rod Laver’s historic sweep of all four majors in 1969.
Coach Goran Ivanisevic summarised Djokovic’s Grand Slam mindset by saying: “He takes your legs, then he takes your soul, then he digs your grave and you have a funeral and you’re dead. Bye-bye. Thank you for coming.” Djokovic’s dominance on the grass courts of Wimbledon is evident, with victories in his last four visits and an unbeaten streak on Centre Court since the 2013 final. His 86 match wins at Wimbledon surpass all current top 20 players combined, with only Cameron Norrie and Hubert Hurkacz making it to the semifinals among them.
Notably, Djokovic’s closest rivals have failed to advance beyond the round of 16, and Nadal’s absence due to injury further strengthens the Serbian’s position. Should he clinch his 24th major at Wimbledon, he would equal Margaret Court’s record for the most Grand Slam titles won by a single player.
However, the world’s top-ranked player, 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, could pose a significant challenge to Djokovic, especially after securing his first grass-court title at Queen’s last weekend. Nonetheless, Alcaraz admitted that the stress and tension of facing Djokovic in the French Open semi-finals led to cramping and his eventual defeat. As Djokovic prepares to make history, the tennis world eagerly awaits the outcome of his Wimbledon campaign.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
