Novak Djokovic: Why Indian Wells withdrawal could help world No. 1 achieve rare tennis feat
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Updated 09/03/2023 at 09:43 GMT
Novak Djokovic can tie Serena Williams’ Open Era record with a 23rd Grand Slam title at Roland-Garros in June – and Mats Wilander believes the 35-year-old could benefit from his vaccination-enforced absence from Indian Wells, and likely the Miami Open. It means Djokovic can begin preparing for the clay swing, where he will resume his rivalry with the master of that surface, Rafael Nadal.
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Novak Djokovic’s absence from the Sunshine Swing could yet prove a blessing in disguise, claims Eurosport expert Mats Wilander.
On Monday it was confirmed that the Serb would miss Indian Wells – and likely the Miami Open - in another twist to the saga around his vaccination status.
It means the 35-year-old can effectively start preparing for the clay-court season and Roland-Garros, where he will aim to surpass Rafael Nadal in the all-time men’s standings with his 23rd Grand Slam title, and continue his hunt for the Calendar Grand Slam.
Only Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) have won all four slams – the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open – in a single calendar year.
Djokovic came closest to joining the elite club in 2021, when he won the first three majors before losing in the US Open final. He is, however, the only player to complete the non-calendar Grand Slam across three different surfaces.
And Wilander believes that his absence from the prestigious American tournaments on the west and east coasts respectively could help him in his bid to achieve the Calendar Slam. Djokovic won the first major of 2023 - the Australian Open - in January despite being hampered by injury.
“He can be fresh for the clay-court season, he can be more fresh for the French Open,” Wilander told Eurosport's Arnold Montgault.
“He's already No. 1 in the world. He's already broken all the records when it comes to No. 1. So what difference does it make if he wins another Indian Wells or Miami?
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Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates victory against Tallon Griekspoor of The Netherlands after day eleven of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on March 01, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Image credit: Getty Images
“He doesn't have to deal with the problem of confidence. Most players do. Novak Djokovic seems to not need a lot of confidence to just walk back into the circle of champions and start winning again.
“So I think that on clay it'd be great for him. He's going to have a better preparation season. He needs to win the French Open for sure because I think this might be his last chance at the Calendar Grand Slam.
“I really feel like that's in his wheelhouse. I was surprised that he didn't do it a couple of years ago and I'll be surprised again because watching him play at Australian Open, there is no backing off.
“He's not getting worse, he's not getting older. In fact, he's just getting better. So to me, the less tennis he plays, the better it is for him to win majors.”
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Wilander insisted that the interruptions to Djokovic’s schedule may not be as problematic as first appears, saying it allows him to manage the twilight of his career on and off the court.
“I think for someone that has children and a family, and that is a family man, I think that the stop and go is the absolute perfect situation,” added Wilander.
“You get a chance to train at home, you train as much as you want. You get a chance to go, to come home and have dinner with your family, put your kids to bed, spend time with the people that mean the most to you that you love.
“I can pretty much promise that these players, they don't really want to be out there and play 22-25 tournaments a year because some of them don't mean that much to them.
“Now, what they are amazing at is they still win these tournaments. Novak can't help himself when he goes to Adelaide and he wins Adelaide even though it's a 250, and then he wins the Australian Open. If they go, they invest a lot of energy into preparation and during their playing.
“He’s proven that he must have a great situation at home because he comes when he's fresh, he's so good, he's not as frustrated, he plays as well. In fact, he plays more aggressively. So I think it's a plus.”
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