"I don't know if he will be World No. 1 again" - Mischa Zverev on Novak Djokovic
Mischa Zverev has questioned whether Novak Djokovic will ever be World No. 1 again.
Djokovic returned to the winner's circle last week after winning the Tel Aviv Open. The tournament marked his first appearance on tour since triumphing at Wimbledon in July.
The Serb has had a turbulent season, missing out on playing at the Australian Open and the US Open due to his decision not to get vaccinated against COVID-19. His seventh title at the All England Club was also marred by the fact that the tournament had no ranking points this year due to its ban on Russian and Belarusian players.
In an interview with Eurosport, Mischa Zverev stated that Novak Djokovic would likely play for another three or four years but raised doubts over his ability to regain the No. 1 ranking. The German also questioned whether Djokovic would be allowed to compete in the Australian Open next year.
The way Novak looks, he can play another three or four years,” Zverev said. "Age is only a number if you do everything right on and off the court like Novak. But I don't know if he will be world No. 1 again. The big issue will be: Will he play the Australian Open?"
"I hadn’t played a tournament in three months, so it was really extra motivation for me to really do well" - Novak Djokovic on winning the Tel Aviv Open
Novak Djokovic continued his excellent form by winning the 89th title of his career on Sunday. The 21-time Grand Slam winner had an excellent week in Tel Aviv, not dropping a set throughout the tournament.
In his post-match press conference, Djokovic said that his goal was to win titles and credited his team for his success.
“My approach is to win tournaments wherever I am and I’m glad that I have a team of people around me that makes sure that I am in the best shape in order to be a contender to win titles,” he said.
The former World No. 1 also thanked the crowd in Tel Aviv for being so "friendly" and "supportive" throughout the week.
"I hadn’t played a tournament in three months, so it was really extra motivation for me to really do well, particularly because people have been so friendly and so supportive of me throughout the week," he added.
Novak Djokovic is fifth on the list of most singles titles won by male players in the Open Era, behind Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl, and Rafael Nadal.