Like his friends Federer and Nadal, Novak Djokovic, winner of his second Roland-Garros on Sunday, is a phoenix, accustomed to ashes after having consumed the exploits.
Between elbow injury and bruises to the soul after having groomed all the Grand Slam titles the previous year, the Serbian was also on the brink of the precipice in 2017 before setting out again to assault the summits.
Barely eight months ago, the spanking administered by Nadal in the Roland-Garros final (6-0, 6-2, 7-5) sounded the death knell of a tormented season on all fronts.
Mixture of cookie-cutter esoteric statements on water purification, the fiasco of his exhibition tournament Adria Tour transformed into a "Djocovid", his anti-ax position or the contested creation of a new association of players (PTPA ).
The winner of the Australian Open before the pandemic has strived to establish his image as a boss off the court.
So many distractions and tensions that weighed in the racket of the world No. 1 when approaching the Grand Slams, the main sources of his overflowing motivation.
A tragicomic round of 16 at the US Open
“That's what continues to inspire me every day to go and indulge myself 100% in training,” he explains.
I have to seek new goals each time with the support of my wife and my children.
Without it, I wouldn't be here.
“When discussing the GOAT (
Editor's note: the greatest of all time
), we may remember this incredible US Open 2020, marked by the absence of Federer, soft right knee, and Nadal, in preparation for an Indian summer of earthling.
Novak Djokovic becomes the first male player in the Open Era to win all four Grand Slams at least twice.
Novak Djokovic is the first player of the Open era to win all Grand Slam titles at least twice. # RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/DPMi0pGJyK
- Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 13, 2021
A tragicomic 8th final with devastating consequences for the Serbian, disqualified after involuntarily sending a ball at a linesman in a moment of anger and frustration.
The unexpected exit from the road as a boulevard presented itself in front of him.
And here is Roland-Garros in the fall collection, where the Serbian and his clan cruelly underestimate Nadal's ability to adapt to the elements.
"Nadal has no chance in these conditions, Novak has entered his head", had launched a little quickly Goran Ivanisevic, one of the coaches of the Belgradois, who had himself admitted "surprised" at the level of his rival.
In short, Djokovic left a baroque year 2020 with a serious taste of unfinished business with regard to the delusional standards that he himself established.
After land preparation in Marbella, where he acquired a sumptuous villa for 10 million euros, Stefan and Tara's father resumed his march forward in his stronghold in Melbourne despite an abdominal tear that caused a lot of talk. Then completely preserved itself until the season on earth. “Above all, we take care of his health, blows his trainer Marian Vajda. Because we know that if Novak is in good shape, he can break even more records. He won the tournament with us in Belgrade, it gave him a boost of confidence before coming here at Roland Garros. And I was calmer, because I said to myself:
that's it, he found his game just before coming to Paris. "
This is how Djokovic finds himself a step away from Nadal and Federer's 20 Grand Slams. And maybe more. “Anything is possible,” he smiles. I know what I've been through in my career and in my life. I have achieved things that no one would have believed me capable of… ”