Novak Djokovic said on the 29th local time that Rafael Nadal's relevant statement made him "question" how much time he still had to play professional tennis, and revealed that the "desire" to make history prevented him from retiring. Djokovic was asked about Nadal's absence from Roland Garros for the first time since 2004, with the Serbian claiming it was a "fantastic opportunity" for him and others. Djokovic said: "When I heard the news, it was clear that this was a great opportunity for me and others to win the title. But at the same time, you're right, you want to beat the best players in the world, the most dominant players here and on the way to the title. ”
The dream is ahead, and Xiaode runs without sparing any effort.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion also reflected on how this made him think about the future of his career, "At the same time, you know, it makes me wonder, it also makes me question myself, where and how my career is going to end because, you know, we all know that because of his injuries and everything, and of course his age and years on tour, this could be coming. However, when he announces it, the next season will be his last. You know, this is still a bit of a shock to me, so I, you, you know, also kind of self-talk to myself. ”
However, the two-time Roland Garros champion revealed what keeps him going: "I've asked that too, but I haven't been thinking about it. The desire is still there, but things may change soon – I'm 36 and I've been a pro for 20 years. I don't like to think of age as a deciding factor, I focus on my general state, and whether I like it or not. ”
On the way to the title, the only thing that Xiaode can be sure of is that there is no Natto in this French Open opponent.
The 36-year-old continued: "History is in front of us, it has been for more than five years. Almost any game will have something like: 'Oh, now you can achieve this or break this record'. I think I've broken a lot of records, but that still pushes me to keep going. That's one of the biggest reasons why I keep playing. At this level, I feel like you need to set clear goals and have a path to achieving them. This attitude brought me to where I am now. On the other hand, things have changed, a new generation of players is coming and we'll see how long I want to last. ”
On the afternoon of the 29th local time, Djokovic will face Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States to start his contention for his record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title. Kovacevic is in the midst of his main draw opening in a Grand Slam.
Once the three giants of men's tennis, only Xiaode went to participate in this year's French Open.
Here are all the Grand Slam titles of Serbian king Djokovic so far:
Australian Open (2008)
Australian Open (2011)
Wimbledon (2011)
US Open (2011)
Australian Open (2012)
Australian Open (2013)
Wimbledon (2014)
Australian Open (2015)
Wimbledon (2015)
US Open (2015)
Australian Open (2016)
Roland Garros (2016)
Wimbledon (2018)
US Open (2018)
Australian Open (2019)
Wimbledon (2019)
Australian Open (2020)
Australian Open (2021)
Roland Garros (2021)
Wimbledon (2021)
Wimbledon (2022)
Australian Open (2023)