Monica Seles on Novak Djokovic: "I just wish we would just play in the same era, would be great if we played mixed"
Before Novak Djokovic put Serbia on the tennis map, it was Monica Seles who brought laurels to then undivided Yugoslavia.
A former World No. 1, Seles amassed nine Grand Slam titles over the course of her illustrious career. Djokovic, meanwhile, has also entered the record books with his 24 trophies.
In a recent interview with SportKlub, Seles said she stopped keeping a count of Djokovic’s Grand Slam titles as the trophies kept adding up. She also said she had known for a long time that the Serb would go on to break all the records and make things even more difficult for the generations to come.
"I stopped counting Novak Djokovic's Grand Slam titles a long time ago, I knew for a long time that he would break all the records and set some very difficult ones for generations to come," Monica Seles said.
Seles went on to express her desire to share the court with Djokovic for a mixed doubles match, saying it would have been great had the two been active players in the same era.
"I just wish we would just play in the same era," Monica Seles said. "it would be great if we played a mix together, that would be phenomenal."
"Thank you, Novak Djokovic, for the gratitude and respect and - let's go, win the Australian Open," she added.
The Australian Open was the most successful Grand Slam for both Novak Djokovic and Monica Seles
Both Novak Djokovic and Monica Seles have enjoyed incredible success Down Under, winning their highest number of Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open.
Monica Seles owns four Australian Open trophies, having won her first in 1991 when she beat Jana Novotna in the finals. She would go on to successfully defend her crown in 1992 and 1993. Her fourth title came in 1996, when she ousted Anke Huber in the final.
Djokovic, meanwhile, has captured 10 titles in Melbourne beginning with his breakout run in 2009. He has not lost a match at the tournament since 2019.
The Serb is currently in pursuit of a record-extending 10th Australian Open crown at the tournament’s 2024 edition. He is set to take on Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the semifinal on January 26.