Alex Corretja believes Novak Djokovic is a "rock" mentally, claims the Serb will continue to win Slams because he is "out of the ordinary"
Alex Corretja believes Novak Djokovic is well-equipped to overcome his Olympic disappointment and respond strongly at the US Open this month. According to the Spaniard, Djokovic is mentally a "rock" and is well placed to continue dominating at the Grand Slams.
Djokovic's dreams of completing the Calendar Golden Slam were dashed after he lost to Alexander Zverev in the semifinals in Tokyo. The Serb then lost to Pablo Carreno Busta which meant he finished in fourth place, falling just short of the bronze medal.
He also injured his shoulder and withdrew from the bronze-medal match in the mixed doubles event, thereby leaving the Olympics empty-handed.
The World No. 1 admitted that he was "mentally and physically exhausted" after his exploits in the Japanese capital, which is understandable considering the amount of tennis he has played this year.
Alex Corretja believes the Serb needs to give his body and mind some rest ahead of the US Open. The Spaniard also suggested that Djokovic might not be too keen to play any tune-up events ahead of the final Slam of the year.
“Now he (Novak Djokovic) needs to rest and recover because he has [taken] a hit [at the Olympics]," Corretja told Radio Marca. "New York is one month away and we will see if he plays any tournaments [before the US Open], but he has shown that mentally he is a rock."
Djokovic remains in the hunt for the Calendar Slam, having already pocketed the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon titles this year. Should he win the title at Flushing Meadows, the Serb will also claim the all-time Grand Slam record for the first time in his career, toppling rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Therefore, Corretja reckons the Serb will not be short of motivation in New York.
“The motivation to win the 21st [Grand Slam] for the record in September will be so great that it will make a clean slate," Corretja added. "Djokovic will continue to win Grand Slams because he is out of the ordinary.”
A glance at Novak Djokovic's record at the US Open
Novak Djokovic is a three-time champion at Flushing Meadows. He first won the title in 2011, beating Rafael Nadal in the final.
Djokovic won his next US Open title in 2015 after taking down Roger Federer in the summit clash. The Serb's third title in New York came in 2018 when he beat Juan Martin del Potro in the decider.
Despite having just three titles to show for his efforts, Djokovic's record in New York is quite magnificent. He has an 86% win rate and has lost before the semifinals on only four occasions (2005, 2006, 2019, 2020).
The World No. 1 has also finished as runner-up on a whopping five occasions.