If his fellow players were hoping Novak Djokovic might ease off a little now he sits on top of Olympus with his 23 Grand Slam titles, they will be sorely disappointed.
The great Serb moved ahead of Rafael Nadal and out on his own in the history of men’s tennis when he won the French Open last month. But he gave short shrift to the suggestion of any relaxation in his appetite for titles.
‘I don’t feel more relaxed, to be honest,’ he said ahead of his title defence at Wimbledon, with a smile to send a shiver down his rivals’ spines. ‘I still feel hungry for success, for more Grand Slams, more achievements.
‘As long as there’s that drive, I know I’m able to compete at the highest level. If that goes down, then I guess I’ll have to face different circumstances and have a different approach. So far there’s still the drive.
‘Of course, part of me is very, very proud to have 23 Slams. I want to try to use every opportunity I have at this stage where I’m feeling good in my body, feeling motivated and playing very good tennis, to try to get more.’
Novak Djokovic (pictured above) sent out a warning to his opponents by admitting he does not feel more relaxed heading into Wimbledon
The Serbian will be looking to defend his title and win a fifth consecutive Wimbledon title
Djokovic did allow himself a brief holiday after Paris, to Sao Miguel Island in the Azores. But it sounds like it was more stretching against palm trees than lounging around in deckchairs.
‘I went with my wife for a trip, just the two of us,’ said the 36-year-old. ‘It was quite an “active” rest. We were hiking and doing a lot of activities in nature for five, six days the week after Paris.
‘You have very little time between the final of the French Open and Wimbledon. You can’t let loose with your body and eat what you want or not sleep, not work out, then try to put yourself in great shape in a matter of seven or eight days to be able to perform. That’s not going to work.
‘It’s 365-day-a-year dedication but it’s not something that I feel is a burden. I love the healthy lifestyle. It makes me feel good. I have more energy. I’m better to myself, to others.’
To explain why it is legitimate to question Djokovic’s hunger for more titles, we must go back to 2016 when he won his first French Open, to complete the set of four Grand Slams. What followed was the worst spell of his career, a run of eight majors without a title.
He has acknowledged that relative slump was due to a lessening of motivation, now that ‘his Everest’ as he called it, had been conquered. He has scaled an even higher peak now, but things are clearly different this time. ‘A few days after Roland Garros, I was already thinking about preparation for grass and what needs to be done,’ he said.
‘A lot of people were congratulating me, which is nice of course, but at the same time my mind was already directed to Wimbledon — the next Slam, the next task.’
The next task is a fifth Wimbledon crown in a row, and an eighth overall to equal Roger Federer’s tally. Djokovic is a massive favourite to win the title and continue his extraordinary streak of being unbeaten on Centre Court for the last 10 years — since that day in 2013 when Andy Murray beat him to end 77 years of British hurt.
Djokovic admitted that after winning in Paris his mind turned to Wimbledon and his next task
Carlos Alcaraz (above) is the man considered the most likely to end his unbelievable 10-year unbeaten streak on Centre Court
The man considered most likely to end that streak this fortnight is Spanish phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz, who won the US Open last year and the title at Queen’s Club last week. He is clearly the coming force in men’s tennis, so does Djokovic relish the new challenge which Alcaraz presents?
‘There’s always someone out there,’ he replied. ‘There always has been and always will be. Carlos is a very nice guy who is carrying himself very maturely for a 20-year-old. I think he’s great for the game as a player who brings a lot of intensity, energy on the court, and is also humble and has a nice personality off the courts.
‘But for me, I don’t need to have Carlos or anybody else really to find that extra drive and motivation when I enter. Most of my attention is focused on my body and my mind, my game, trying to bring it to the optimal state where I’m performing my best every match.’
And if the zen master of tennis can maintain that ‘optimal state’ for the next two weeks, then Alcaraz, Murray and all the rest of them will be playing for second place.