On July 11, after Djokovic won the men's singles title at Wimbledon, coach Ivanisevic, who accompanied him to Wimbledon, said that if his disciple wins the US Open again, the debate over who is the greatest player in history will end.
"For me, Novak is the best player of all time and he's writing history. He will do just that at the U.S. Open. "2001 Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic said he was confident he would win all four Grand Slam singles titles in a year.
Ivanisević is from Croatia, a country in the Balkans with Djokovic's native Serbia and in the past a union republic of the former Yugoslavia along with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia and Montenegro. Historically, wars and wars have been frequent in this region, countries have changed many times, and ethnic struggles and integrations have been common.
Therefore, although Ivanisevich and Djokovic come from different countries, they have deep historical ties between them, and it is easy to get closer psychologically and emotionally. Because of this, Ivanisevic was so agitated when Djokovic won the 20th Grand Slam that he even elevated that excitement to "national pride": "Novak and I are both from the Balkans, and when people think it's impossible for anyone to win a Grand Slam, it's the Balkans who make it possible, we create everything." ”
In Djokovic's career, the longest time he has accompanied him and helped him win the most Grand Slams is the meritorious coach Vajda, and the two have been mentors and apprentices since 1995, which can be described as "father and son". Compared with Ivanišević, who has been frequently vocal recently, Vajda is more low-key, rarely making high-profile remarks.
Between 2013 and 2016, six-time Grand Slam champion Becker also coached Djokovic, winning six of his 20 Grand Slam titles with the help of the German coach.
"Novak is the best student in the history of tennis, and he knows a lot about the history of Rodrawall, Bjørborg and McEnroe — and of course, some knowledge of my history," said Becker, who knows who has done what great things, which is important for him to set his goals.
"Where did Novak's momentum come from? He's about competing against the famous record of a famous player in history. It's similar to Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, which is a sign of great players. Becker added.
Winning the French Open and Wimbledon in a row, only four people since the 1968 Open era have done so by rodravol, Bjöborg, Nadal and Federer, while Djokovic is the fifth in history.
Why mention this in particular? This is because the interval between the French Open and Wimbledon is very short and it is two completely different types of venues. The transition from mud to grass in just over a month' time and the two most competitive Grand Slams can be imagined. Becker, who has won six Grand Slams and is the only French Open champion, said the successful transition from a French clay court to a Wimbledon lawn court was "the toughest task in tennis".
"It's incredible from a two-month clay season where you win the final in Paris and then Wimbledon," Becker, who has stopped the French Open semi-final three times, is well aware of this. "This year in particular, the gap between the French Open and Wimbledon is very short, and Novak has only a few days to recover after winning the French Open and then quickly adjust to compete on a completely different venue from clay. The fact that Borg did it three times (1978, 1979, 1980), Nadal twice (2008, 2010), Federer once (2009) and now Djokovic once again illustrates the amazing abilities and qualities of these players. ”
So why is it so hard to switch from laterite to meadow? What is the main difference between the two?
In Becker's view, it depends first and foremost on the mentality of the players, that is, how you intend to win the game.
"On clay, if you force your opponent to make more unforced mistakes, you usually win the game – that's the mentality. Or, if you're more durable than your opponent, or run faster.
"On the grass, the situation is completely opposite. Usually, if you have more wins than your opponent, you will win the game. You have to be more aggressive, to win more points, even to take bigger risks, because on the grass, the greater the risk, the greater the benefit.
"It's two completely different mentalities and tactics, which also creates two completely different styles of play and completely different games.
"The game on the grass is shorter and the changes are faster. It's like a gunfight on the grass – whoever shoots fast wins.
"Most people find sporting on grass very difficult and we saw a lot of players slip and fall during this Wimbledon session. Not because the grass is slipperier than other fields, but because the movement on the grass is completely different.
"Of course, it also has to do with the style of play – on clay you generally retreat four or five feet behind the bottom line, and on grass you need to start quickly and run more, then your risk of slipping is also greatly increased, so you need to be closer.
"Clay and grass are two completely different races, which is why Novak's achievements this year are so impressive." Becker explains.
Note: The image in this article is from Becker's Instagram, and the content and style of the stickers on this account show that Becker is a middle-aged artist who likes to take personal photos, is good at thinking, and is keen to collect famous sayings and aphorisms. (Source: Tennis House Author: Yun Cirrus Yunshu)