Novak Drives for 25
Once upon a time, Novak Djokovic said he never set any limits on what he could accomplish. And that attitude worked for him—he has broken just about every record that was there to break. At 38, though, he sounds like he’s dialing back his expectations just a bit.
“24 is not a bad number,” Djokovic says he has been telling himself lately. The 24 in that sentence refers to the major titles he’s won, the most of any male player, and tied for the most all-time with Margaret Court. The implication is that he may not get to 25—i.e., he may finally have hit a limit.
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Will this more relaxed and realistic approach help Djokovic in what may be his final go-round on tour? We’ll start to find out when he takes to Rod Laver Arena for his first-round night match against 20-year-old Pedro Martinez.
The Spaniard is ranked 71st, and his only career title came on clay. But he has been as high as 36th, and he plays with the type of Spanish-style grit and consistency that tends to translate to all surfaces. Unless he’s overwhelmed by the occasion, he’ll make the 38-year-old hit a lot of balls to win.
Djokovic probably won’t mind testing his legs, but he won’t want to work them for too long. He needs to be as efficient as possible, and conserve every ounce of energy he can if wants to be ready for the bigger tests ahead.