Novak Djokovic breaking Slam record by winning Rafael Nadal's tournament would be ironic, says Mats Wilander
In the opinion of former tennis player Mats Wilander, it would be ironic if Novak Djokovic broke the Grand Slam record at the 2023 French Open in the absence of Rafael Nadal.
The Serb recently competed in the 2023 Italian Open. He got off to a good start by beating Tomas Etcheverry, Grigor Dimitrov, and Cameron Norrie to reach the quarterfinals.
However, his run was cut short by Danish youngster Holger Rune. The Dane defeated the Serb in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, in a tight clash that lasted two hours and 19 minutes.
Djokovic will now be aiming for his 23rd Grand Slam title at the 2023 French Open, and the absence of his arch-rival Rafael Nadal, a 14-time winner at the clay-court Grand Slam, will make the Serb's job easier.
Mats Wilander jokingly told Eurosport that he and the other former players are a little jealous of Novak Djokovic as he is entering this year's Roland Garros with a strong chance of becoming the greatest player of all time.
"The feeling that Novak has going into this year's French Open is a feeling that I think all of us ex-players, we are so jealous right now because of the confidence that he must have to have 22 Grand Slams. The unknown factor of, ‘Oh, can I win the French Open for the third time?’ But more importantly, ‘Can I be the greatest player of all time in 20 days?'," he said.
"I mean, that anticipation feeling must be so nice, so nerve-wracking in a way. Scary, but also such a confidence boost because we're not talking about Novak Djokovic, who's getting old," Wilander added.
While the Serb appears young and has upcoming opportunities to win major tennis tournaments, Mats Wilander believes it would be ironic if he broke the Grand Slam record by winning a tournament where Rafael Nadal has won 14 titles.
"He is still looking so young and he knows he's got Wimbledon, he's got the US Open, he's got the Australian Open again next year. So this is not his last chance. But it would be in a way ironic if he breaks the record by winning Rafa’s tournament," Wilander stated.
Novak Djokovic will open his French Open campaign against American Aleksandar Kovacevic
Third-seeded Novak Djokovic, the 2016 and 2021 Roland Garros champion, will face the 114th-ranked American Aleksandar Kovacevic in the opening round in Paris, the first French Open without Rafael Nadal or the now-retired Roger Federer since 1998.
The Serb could meet World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals after they were drawn in the same half of the tournament. The 20-year-old Spaniard is chasing his first Grand Slam title on clay and his second Major overall.