Djokovic takes on all comers
World No. 1 rolls in singles, doubles
TOKYO — With so much on the line — the Golden Slam, the calendar- year Grand Slam, Olympic singles gold — it’s been a mystery to many why Novak Djokovic entered the mixed doubles tournament at the Tokyo Olympics.
Why risk injury or getting fatigued because of an event that doesn’t have much of a following and might distract from the more pressing goals within reach?
“I was against it. The whole team was against it,” Viktor Troicki, Serbia’s Olympic team coach and Davis Cup captain, told The Associated Press in an interview after Djokovic reached the semifinals in both singles and mixed on Thursday. “It was just him. He wanted to play.”
So there Djokovic was, partnering with Nina Stojanovic to beat the German pair of Laura Siegemund and Kevin Krawietz 6-1, 6-2 in a match that started less than two hours after he routed Kei Nishikori of host Japan 6-2, 6-0 in singles.
“I thought he had enough of tennis the last months,” Troicki said. “Really, he played so much.”
Djokovic, who has already won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon this year, needs the Tokyo Games title and the U.S. Open trophy in singles to become the first man to achieve the Golden Slam.
“Everyone was thinking about the singles,” Troicki said. “When he said he wanted to play mixed, I was like, ‘ OK, (if) it means that much to him.”
Marian Vajda and Goran Ivanisevic, Djokovic’s personal coaches, didn’t travel to Tokyo. But Troicki has been talking to Ivanisevic.
“It’s working well so far,” Troicki said. “I’m glad he’s having short matches in both events.” Jeremy Djokovic hasn’t lost a set yet in singles or mixed doubles.
But Djokovic could face his biggest test of the Olympic tournament against fifthranked Alexander Zverev on Friday — even though Djokovic holds a 6-2 career edge over the German and has not lost to Zverev in nearly three years.