There is always time to look back and Novak Djokovic demonstrated his knowledge of the history of tennis when he was questioned by the Serbian media about his great references from the past and what has been the biggest change in this sport. The Serbian’s answers are priceless and he points out several names against which he would have liked to measure himself.
The tension that is breathed in a Grand Slam tournament can become unbearable, and much more so for a competitive animal such as Novak Djokovicaware that perhaps he does not have many more opportunities to expand his record and continue the dream of winning the four majors in the same season. That is why in some press conferences, they tend to change the subject and have a relaxed chat about other issues. At the suggestion of Serbian journalists, Nole spoke about tennis from the past and its great references, in a relaxed atmosphere that TennisMajors includes and that offers interesting reflections on the Balkan player.
“If I could choose, I would love to face John McEnroe and live the experience of arguing with him on the track”, said a Djokovic with a laugh, whose volcanic character would have generated an interesting explosive mix with that of the American left-hander. “I think we all sometimes think about previous generations and try to compare ourselves with the great champions of the past. Many of them are still active in the sport today and that is a blessing because they bring all their knowledge to the table. I, for example, know Boris Becker very well and we have talked a lot about the evolution of tennis and the rivalries of that time, such as the mythical one between Borg and McEnroe,” warns Novak.
One of the tennis players who holds the longest records of permanence in the elite is Jimmy Connors, so Djokovic has a special interest in him. “I would have really liked to play Jimmy in a night session at the US Open. I’ve seen a lot of videos of his matches and it was incredible the buzz that was generated, how he involved the crowd with his style of play. I’m also especially sorry that I couldn’t compete against Pete Sampras, who was my great idol and the person who inspired me to pick up a racket for the first time. I did have the honor of playing with Agassi in an exhibition match before Wimbledon. The truth is that I would have loved to be part of that generation and having competed with the crazy Goran Ivanisevic”, he said between laughs, making reference to his current coach.
Djokovic believes that the evolution of rackets is what marks the path of tennis
Asked about what he considers to be the great change in tennis in recent decades, the Serb is clear: technology. “What has changed the most, generating a greater impact in the game, is the racket. The materials with which they are made today are very light and allow us to play with power and precision, absorbing the vibration generated by the ball in contact with the blades. In the past it was impossible to try a style like today because with wooden rackets you had no choice but to cut the ball a lot and go to the net to score points I think Borg was the first to modernize tennis with a style different than the prelude to the current one was, trying to build points from the bottom, but also went up a lot to the net”, sentenced a Novak Djokovic always passionate about the history of tennis.
2023-07-13 07:28:32
#Novak #Djokovic #analysis #rivalries #tennis
