Novak Djokovic has been kept from extending his legacy, says Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors wants Novak Djokovic to get a lot more success in the coming years because he believes the World No. 1 has been unfairly banned from tournaments since the 2022 Australian Open.
By the end of 2021, a majority of countries around the world had made it mandatory for foreign travelers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. But Djokovic, on the grounds of maintaining bodily autonomy, decided against getting the jab even if he had to let go of the biggest tournaments and titles.
Speaking to former player Spencer Segura on the Advantage Connors podcast, Connors recently expressed hope for Novak Djokovic to keep winning since he believes the almost-36-year-old has been "screwed" towards the end of his career.
"I'm rooting for Djoker and here's why. I think he's been screwed the last couple of years, big time," Connors said. "I'm rooting for him to come through, he's already proven what he is, he's got 22 Grand Slams. He's already proven how great he is and all that, but he has been kept from even extending that legacy."
"I don't know how long he's going to play," Connors added. "He may play this year and one more year and then say, 'I'm done'. You don't know. I'm rooting for him to get through this year and have success because of that."
Between his deportation from Australia at the beginning of the 2022 season and the 2023 Miami Open in the US, Djokovic sat out two Grand Slams and four Masters 1000 tournaments. But despite missing out on a total of 12,000 points, he regained the No.1 ranking a few months ago.
The Serb has spent a significant amount of time at the top spot this year, but Carlos Alcaraz will be the new No. 1 player on Monday, May 22.
Novak Djokovic confident of his chances at French Open 2023
Novak Djokovic is yet to find his groove on clay, having failed to reach the semi-finals in Monte-Carlo, Banja Luka, and Rome. However, the two-time French Open champion is not worried about the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, beginning in Paris on May 28.
"I know I can always play better. Definitely am looking forward to working on various aspects of my game, of my body, and hopefully, getting myself in 100% shape. That's the goal," he said in Rome. "I always like my chances in Grand Slams against anybody on any surface, best-of-five. Let's see how it goes."
Djokovic lost to Holger Rune in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Italian Open and now has a 20-4 record for the season.