Only six men in the history of tennis have won more Grand Slam titles than Novak Djokovic, and as he promised after winning a 10th in New York on Sunday: "As long as there is this flare in me, I will be coming back."
Winning three more Grand Slams would take him past Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson on the all-time list, and in sight of Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal, who both have 14 to their name.
Roger Federer's record of 17 remains the ultimate goal. Djokovic has nearly six years on Federer, but modern history suggests such relentless success will be extremely difficult to sustain into his 30s.
In 2010, Djokovic cut out wheat and dairy and reduced his sugar intake - he has won nine of his 10 Grand Slams in the five years since. He is also an advocate of the traditional Chinese medicinal belief that parts of the body heal at different times of the day.
The large intestine, for example, is supposed to be working to remove toxins from the body between 5am and 7am, and so to aid the process, the 28-year-old will always drink a glass of warm water as soon as he wakes.
Djokovic won his first Grand Slam in Melbourne at the age of 20, so at the very least will have to buck recent trends if he is to remain a serial winner in his early 30s.
Pete Sampras did win his first and last Grand Slams 12 years apart, but only won one after turning 29.
Federer has been similarly frustrated: the Wimbledon title of 2012 is the only Grand Slam he has managed to land since his 29th birthday. Nadal won at least one major title every year for 10 years, but his most recent success came just days after turning 28.
Maybe Djokovic will prove unique in the men's game, and take a leaf out of Serena Williams's book.
And maybe Federer will need the insurance of one further Grand Slam title to keep that record more secure.
Most Grand Slam titles
17: Roger Federer
14: Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal
12: Roy Emerson
11: Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg
10: Bill Tilden, Novak Djokovic
No comments:
Post a Comment