“Still Feelin' Driving”

Posted by Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday August 25, 2024

Not since then Roger Federer won his fifth and final US Open title in 2008 and the player successfully defended the men's title at the US Open.

Four-time champion Novak Djokovic hopes to change all that.

Ahead of his first match against Moldova's Radu Albot, 2024 Olympic gold medalist Djokovic told reporters he is still hungry for more success at the Grand Slams.

“Hopefully that will change this year,” he said when told that no one has defended the US Open title in the past 15 years. “I mean that's the goal. The aim is that I always try to enter the finals and fight for the trophy. I mean, that kind of mentality or approach is not for me this year. “

Even at 37, No.2 seed Djokovic says the fire to compete at the highest level still burns within him.

“People will ask me now that you have won everything with a gold medal, what else can you get?” he said. “I still feel like driving. “I still have a competitive spirit. I still want to make history and enjoy the journey. I still hope to inspire many young people to watch tennis, to play tennis – Those are some of the reasons why I keep going.”

Djokovic says trying to keep up with his younger rivals also motivates him a lot. He credits Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for keeping him motivated to perform at the highest level.

“These rivals that I have with Jannik and Carlos, especially, and other guys from the previous generation, like, Zverev, Medvedev, Tsitsipas, you know, the kind of matchups that still bring that joy to me to compete and motivate me that every week when I'm not competing, I push myself to finish the game well and give myself the ability to run many hours with them in the biggest category,” he says. “Yes, there is a big age difference, but, you know, that still doesn't affect me much.”

Olympic Gold Is His Greatest Moment

Djokovic has made so many amazing achievements in his career, one would think he would have a hard time deciding which of his career is the most impressive. The Serbian legend says there is no question that he will win gold at the Paris Games this summer.

“I lost badly in the Olympic games, I worked hard to try to put myself in a position to fight for gold,” he explained. “And when I was 37 I thought: could this be the last chance? It is possible. So I had to push harder than I ever did.”

Djokovic said the Olympics turned into a dream, and added that he had never had such strong emotions on the tennis court.

“It was one of the best games I've had in years in every tournament,” he said. “Of course in the final against Carlos, it was just a dream to have my wife and children there, with the whole nation watching. It's a very proud moment to get a gold medal, you know, around my neck with the Serbian anthem and the Serbian flag. Very, very special. Probably the strongest feeling I've ever had on a tennis court.

“I thought carrying the flag, being the manager of my country, opening the games in 2012 in London at the Olympic Games, was the best feeling I had in my professional career, surpassing all the Slams I won, until I won. gold medal. I think the moment of how I achieved it, how I achieved it, after years of trying, the journey, it was like this, I think it makes it even more different.”