Novak Djokovic’s quest to win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title is one of the dominant stories of this year’s Roland Garros, yet plenty of critics have insisted the 38-year-old is fighting a losing battle.
Djokovic won his 100th career title as he picked up an ATP 250 title in Geneva last weekend and now he is through to the third round in Paris after a straight sets win against France’s Corentin Moutet.
With Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz sharing the last five Grand Slam titles between them, Djokovic is facing an uphill battle to clinch the final major title he needs to move ahead of Margaret Court in the all-time Grand Slam title list.
Yet former world No 1 Mats Wilander has told Tennis365 that Djokovic can win another major title, even if he is not a favourite to emerge victorious on the Paris clay.
Wilander spoke to this website in the broadcast centre at Roland Garros and suggested the Serbian legend still has moments of glory left in him.
“I cannot understand why anyone would say Novak should stop and, in fact, I think he is adding to his legacy by going out and winning a title like he did in Geneva last weekend,” Wilander told Tennis365 in his role as a TNT Sports analyst.
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“I love it. I think great champions should show that when he is not at the peak of his powers and he is not winning everything that he will still compete and still fight
“A great champion is not just the guy who wins the big tournament. It’s also the guy who finds a way to compete when he is not at his best and that is what we are seeing from Novak now.
“I think it’s just amazing that he is still competing against players from a different generation. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner may be the favourites to win Roland Garros this year, but Novak is still and he still believes he can win. It’s great to see.”
When asked whether he believes Djokovic will achieve his dream of winning a 25th Grand Slam title, Wilander offered up a defiant response.
“Of course he can win another Grand Slam,” he added. “Anyone who writes off Novak Djokovic is making a mistake.
“I would say that Wimbledon may be his best chance and it will be hard for him to get past Alcaraz and Sinner, but this is Novak Djokovic. This is not a normal tennis player. I would not be surprised for one second if he wins another Grand Slam.”
Djokovic’s win against Moutet in the second round in Paris came after he suffered an injury scare with a blister on his foot, as he admitted he needed to maintain his focus against an unpredictable opponent on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
“Mentally, I had to stay concentrated and prepared for a match like that,” said Djokovic.
“Corentin is a player who has great speed, it was a great battle, especially the third set. I saved a set point… At that moment, anything is possible. I found a shot to stay in the set, a good service. I think in general I played well, I managed to stay calm on court, which wasn’t easy at times.
“Things got complicated with the blister and the atmosphere was electric in the third set when he got close to winning it. The fans got involved and it was not easy for me, but I got it done.
“The crowd is very close on Suzanne Lenglen. They get very loud. When you experience the match from up close, you get more involved. It was a younger crowd, I noticed that.”
Djokovic will not have a day to recover ahead of his next match on Saturday and he cheekily asked Roland Garros organisers if he could avoid being put on the Saturday evening slot as he wants to watch the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, as he confirmed he will be supporting the French team.
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