Despite Martina Navratilova’s Concern, Novak Djokovic Burdens Himself Further With Additional Patriotic Duties

Novak Djokovic surely hasn’t forgotten the heartbreak of the Wimbledon final. The finals match, etched in the minds of tennis fans worldwide, was a tough pill to swallow for the Serbian legend. But as always, Djokovic is looking ahead, focusing on what’s next. And for the 24-time Grand Slam winner, what’s next involves a blend of patriotism, tennis, and physical stress.

Djokovic will not put a halt to his campaign this season after the Paris Olympics and the US Open. The 37-year-old is also scheduled to play at the Davis Cup. As per the website of the Serbian Tennis Federation, the tennis star will play against Greece in Belgrade on 14-15 September. Following his November setback in the championship match, Djokovic sets out to help his nation retain its title. However, Djokovic’s commitment to his nation sparks health worries and the advice he received from the experts of the game.

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova talked about how it’s not going to be easy for the Serbian tennis star to get started with the Olympics just after finishing Wimbledon. In a discussion on the Tennis Channel, she stated, “So, basically, two weeks after Wimbledon is over Olympics start, and the top players who had played here really but such a short turnaround, and then you’re there and it’s emotionally exhausting physically exhausting and then they go on the hard courts.” And the situation has been similar for Djokovic in the past.

Per Serbian Tennis Federation website, #Djokovic will play Davis Cup vs Greece in Belgrade (14-15 September).

— Saša Ozmo (@ozmo_sasa) July 17, 2024

Djokovic was worn out after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He still decided to play at the US Open and lost in the finals. This factor was also highlighted by Navratilova who said, “I think it cost Novak Djokovic the Grand Slam three years ago, and now they’re doing it again.” The Davis Cup schedule will further force him to travel, practice, and play more. With Nole adding one more event to his schedule, it will be challenging for him not just because of his age, but also the latest injury he faced.

For the unversed, Djokovic tore the media meniscus of his right knee during the fourth-round clash at Roland Garros. He underwent surgery in early June and stayed away from the courts for a couple of weeks. However, his return to the court was not something that was anticipated to happen so early by the doctors. With Nole continuously adding tournaments to his season, it can add more woes for him. Nole is not just receiving words of concern for his tour schedule, but also his ‘changed’ gameplay and techniques.

Rafael Nadal’s uncle tears into Djokovic’s playing style
Djokovic was left baffled by Carlos Alcaraz as he defeated him in straight sets at the Wimbledon finals. This caused Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni Nadal to comment on his changed gameplay which he believes was suicidal. In a column for El Pais, Toni Nadal expressed his dissatisfaction over the decisions that Djokovic made during his match.

“Do we face it with our usual weapons and our own style or, on the contrary, do we try to neutralize our opponent by looking for other solutions by moving away from our characteristic game?” He believes that while many would choose the first option, Nole went with the latter and that cost him the match.

“He wanted to impose a high tempo, play aggressively, shorten the exchanges from the back of the court and at the slightest opportunity, close out the points at the net.” He believes that Nole took the decision to go against his usual game since he knew that his knee and stroke precision would not help him much against the Spaniard. “In my opinion, the only option the Serbian had was to try to slow down the game,” he wrote further.

As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see if Novak Djokovic’s stringent schedule improves his gameplay or poses more challenges in front of him to tackle.