By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Friday, January 10, 2025
Photograph credit score: Jean Catuffe/Getty
Novak Djokovic is an everlasting optimist.
The Grand Slam king does not view his main milestones as eternal data.
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In a brand new GQ cowl story Q&A, 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic cites four-time main winner Carlos Alcaraz and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner as two gamers with the potential to surpass his main mark.
“Individuals say nobody will ever beat my data. However I doubt it,” Djokovic advised GQ. “I imply, Carlos could possibly be subsequent. Even Jannik.
“Carlos has executed one thing that nobody has executed in historical past at such a younger age. So I feel he has all the percentages. I feel he’ll recover from it very quickly.”
Reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon winner Alcaraz is aiming to change into the youngest man to finish the profession Grand Slam by successful this month’s Australian Open.
The 21-year-old Spaniard has overwhelmed the 37-year-old Serbian famous person in successive Wimbledon finals. Djokovic says whereas he admires Alcaraz’s ambition, it might be untimely to “take into consideration historical past.”
“He himself has mentioned it, he desires to make historical past,” Djokovic mentioned of Alcaraz. “He desires to be ‘the most effective in historical past’. I respect that sort of mentality, like, ‘Hey, I feel I’ve what it takes.’ However perhaps it is a bit early to consider historical past.”
Djokovic delivered a lesson in poise beneath strain in his 7-6, 7-6 victory over Alcaraz within the 2024 Paris Olympic gold-medal match then gave the reigning Roland Garros champion an encouraging endorsement.
In his fifth Olympic Video games, Djokovic made historical past because the oldest participant to win the Olympic singles gold medal since tennis returned to the Video games on the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
At web, Djokovic advised Alcaraz his gold-medal second is coming.
“He advised me that I’ll win Olympic gold sooner or later,” Alcaraz advised the media in his post-match press convention. “And we’re going to work for it. I am positive my time will come.”
