Among modern greats, such as Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Djokovic has yet to secure an Olympic gold medal
Twenty-four-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic would concentrate on winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics this year to complete his Greatest of All Time (GOAT) legacy.
Tennis commentator Nick Lester said that the Serbian star would focus on the mega event to achieve one of the few remaining milestones in his career.
Among the modern greats, such as Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, Djokovic has yet to secure an Olympic gold medal. Lester told Tennis365 that the Serb will be determined to join them by triumphing in the tennis event at Roland Garros in Paris.
“For me, the Olympic gold medal is massive for him this year and he will set his sights on that one big target,” Lester told Tennis365.
“It is the only thing that’s missing from his CV and he will tailor everything around that. When you have achieved everything and only one final prize is missing, it would make sense to make it your priority.
“For me, he is still the man to beat on a hard court when he is fully fit and motivated. He could easily win another four Slams over the next couple of years if he stays fit and the desire is there. If he still has the passion to chase records and great records.”
Djokovic’s recent loss to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals led to speculation about his diminishing dominance in men’s tennis. However, this assessment may be premature for a player who was highly successful last year, winning three Grand Slams and reaching the final of the fourth.
Lester also suggested that Djokovic may have struggled physically during his time in Melbourne, which could have contributed to a slight decline in his performance.
“From what I heard in Melbourne, he wasn’t particularly well out there,” he stated. “Maybe that led to him not being quite as engaged as he had been in previous years.
“Let’s be honest, the level of motivation he has displayed for so long is going to tail off at some point. He’s doing things at his age that have never been done before and at some point, you have to think it will stop happening for him.”