Djokovic to make grand slam events his priority
TENNIS
MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic worries that time may prove his chief threat in his otherwise relentless march towards sporting immortality.
The world No 1 says juggling family life with the complexities of travel during a pandemic loom as his biggest concern as he hunts down the grand slam titles record shared by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic edged to within two of the Swiss and Spaniard's benchmark 20 slams with a comprehensive 75, 62, 62 Australian Open final victory over Daniil Medvedev on Sunday night.
But constantly being away from his wife and two young children is weighing heavily on the super Serb.
‘‘At times it rips my heart apart,’’ Djokovic said after etching his name on the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for a mindblowing ninth time at Melbourne Park.
‘‘I will have to revise my schedule comparing to the last year or any other season before this,’’ he said.
‘‘Not being able to take my family on the road is something that is a big problem for me.’’
Racking up majors is proving less of a problem as Djokovic (33) remains as healthy and hungry as ever.
‘‘I don’t feel like I’m old or tired or anything like that,’’ he said.
‘‘But I know that biologically and realistically things are different than they were 10 years ago for me.
‘‘I have to be smarter with my schedule and peak at the right time. So the slams are the tournaments where I want to be able to perform my best.''
Djokovic will break Federer’s record 310 weeks as world No 1 next month.
Djokovic’s ‘‘unbelievable’’ performance drew high praise from some of the game’s former greats.
‘‘Brilliant work on another Australian title,’’ Rod Laver, the Australian after whom the stadium court is named, said in message to Djokovic on Twitter.
‘‘Under so much pressure in such difficult times. You continue to show the world what a great champion you are. There was no doubt in your mind . . . — Daniil felt the full force of your will. Sublime 9!’’ ‘‘It was an unbelievable performance,’’ former world No 1 Swede Mats Wilander told Eurosport.
‘‘That’s a huge statement to [the next generation], to us, to the whole world.
‘‘Novak is just so complete these days. He can hit those little drop shots, he can come to the net, he’s got choices.’’
Former US Open champion Andy Roddick was not always a big fan of Djokovic the man — once almost coming to blows with him in the dressing room — but was left in awe of his performance.
‘‘Djoker is so good,’’ the American posted on Twitter.
‘‘He’s routined great, great players at the Aussie Open over the years. There is nowhere to attack him on the court. It’s like not being able to hit a boxer, but that boxer also has knockout power in both hands. Props.’’
Djokovic’s win has come at a price.
‘‘I just came actually came from another MRI that I’ve done this morning and the damage [a muscle tear] is bigger than what it was when it happened, when I did the first MRI after the third round,'' he told reporters.
‘‘It’s not too bad judging by what doctor said but I’ll have to take some time off and heal.’’