New York (dpa)
Former Croatian star Goran Ivanisevic believes that Serbian “tennis icon” Novak Djokovic goes beyond the “white game,” stressing that he is considered one of the best players in the history of that sport.
Djokovic won his 24th Grand Slam title after defeating Russian Daniil Medvedev, ranked third in the world, in three clean sets, in the final of the men’s singles tournament at the US Open “Flushing Meadows.”
Ivanisevic, who works as Djokovic’s coach, confirmed that the veteran star’s fighting spirit and his will to win make him a “genius” athlete.
The British news agency PA Media quoted the statements of Ivanisevic, winner of the English Open Championship “Wimbledon” in 2001, who said, “I don’t think you can work on that.”
Ivanisevic spoke about Djokovic, saying, “He is a genius, a unique player. There are not many people like him in this world on the sporting level.”
“This is one of the biggest achievements in the history of sports,” Ivanisevic explained. “We are not talking about tennis, but we are talking about sports in general.”
The retired Croatian player added, “He loves winning. He is the man who always motivates himself. He was lucky to have players like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. They came before him, so they pushed each other.”
He said: “He is a natural winner. For him, when you tell him that he cannot do something, he will challenge what he faces and show you that he can do it. There are no excuses for him.”
Ivanisevic continued his talk about Djokovic, saying, “He always tries to find a way to win, and how to fight, even when he is not feeling well, or injured, or not injured.”
Ivanisevic concluded his statements by saying, “I cannot say that we are all from the Balkan region like that, because we are not like that, but it is unique in its kind, and that is why it is the best.”
Djokovic was banned from participating in the US Open in 2022 due to vaccination laws against the Corona virus, but he returned again to become its oldest champion the following year.
Djokovic, 36 years old, who returned to the top of the world rankings again, avenged his loss to Medvedev in the Flushing Meadows final in 2021. Djokovic commented on his victory in the tournament, saying, “I think people like comeback stories. I like them too. They motivate me.”
He hinted, “I have not played any tournament on American soil for two years, and the last time I was here, I lost in the final match to the same player I beat.”
Djokovic has now won seven Grand Slam titles during the last 10 competitions he participated in, despite the emergence of many stars in that game, such as Medvedev, the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, and the Italian Siner.
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