Serbia: Djokovic says he"s aiming to secure historic Golden Slam at Tokyo Games

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Novak Djokovic, the men’s singles world number one tennis player, said he was hoping to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics, thereby securing a Calendar Golden Slam, at Belgrade airport on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of his flight to Japan, Djokovic said it was ‘no secret’ he was aiming for the top prize.

“That’s my great goal and huge ambition since the beginning of this season,” he added.

Djokovic predicted that “Zverev, Tsitsipas, and Medvedev,” would probably be his “three toughest opponents” on the road to his goal of winning a Calendar Golden Slam - winning all four grand slam titles plus winning gold at the Olympics, all within one calendar year.

Only former German tennis professional Steffi Graff has previously pulled off the feat in 1988, although others have pulled off non-calendar year and career versions.

Another potential stumbling block for the Serbian player, who has previously made anti-vaccine comments during the ongoing pandemic, could be the coronavirus, with 71 confirmed cases linked to the games already.

At the airport, Djokovic accidentally met Dejan Srtankovic, FC Red Star coach and former player or FC Inter Milan who wished him luck in the Olympics.

SOT, Novak Djokovic, Serbian tennis player (Serbian): “It is nice to go this way to Japan where I have highest ambitions and that’s something I’ve already said after Wimbledon and Roland Garos. I aim for the highest rank, for the gold medal and that’s no secret. That’s my great goal and huge ambition since the beginning of this season. Four grand slams and the Olympics is something I marked to myself as a place where I want to play the best tennis and to be at a peak of my form.”

SOT, Novak Djokovic, Serbian tennis player (Serbian): “It is a great honour to play for your own country , it is a privilege and one of the greatest moments that a sportsman can experience. I play individual sport and there are rare opportunities where I can take part in a team competition”

SOT, Novak Djokovic, Serbian tennis player (Serbian): “I feel great, I trained well, I am ready, I am motivated and inspired to play the best possible tennis.”

SOT, Novak Djokovic, Serbian tennis player (Serbian): “Regarding the Olympic games, even though many top ranked players have cancelled their participation, there are still many of them who will be there. Among others, I will mention only Zverev, Tsitsipas and Medvedev, they will probably be my three toughest opponents, but the tournament is long, anything can happen. Finals are played in three won sets. Also, reaching finals will be tough. Participation in Olympics comes with many pressures and expectations and emotions that are different from other tournaments. I know that very well since i experienced that in the past. That’s why I will try to treat the Olympics as any other tournament so I will stay focused on my goal.”
#Serbia #GoldenSlam #TokyoGames
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