"The stars might be aligning for him" - Novak Djokovic has the best opportunity to win the Calendar Grand Slam in 2023, believes Todd Woodbridge
Novak Djokovic has the potential to win the Calendar Grand Slam in 2023 more than ever before, suggests former Australian tennis player Todd Woodbridge.
Djokovic has already secured the title in the first Major tournament of the season, the Australian Open. With three more on the road in 2023, the Serb will be keen to make a clean sweep. The World No. 1 has been performing on top of his game and was barely made to break a sweat in any of his matches this season.
In a conversation on The AO Show podcast, Woodbridge opined that the 22-time Grand Slam champion has the "best opportunity" he has ever had to win the Calendar Grand Slam.
"I think that Novak Djokovic has the best opportunity he's ever had to win the [Calendar] Grand Slam. I think all four Majors are on the table for him this year. I believe that, that is the absolute goal for him this season. I think he's going to look at his schedule. He's going to orchestrate it so that he is at peak performance in all four Majors," he said.
The Australian conveyed that "the stars might be aligning" for the 35-year-old to finally claim the ultimate souvenir of his career as he emphasized the unwavering dominance the Serb currently has on tour over the rest.
"I just think the stars might be aligning for him given everything that's unfolded over the last few years. He was just so far above anybody else on the men's side at the Australian Open. I haven't seen that gap so wide in my time," Woodbridge observed.
In the history of the sport, only two players from the men's side have achieved Calendar Grand Slams so far: Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969).
"He has learned to cope with an amazing amount of stress, anxiety" - Todd Woodbridge on Novak Djokovic
Todd Woodbridge has claimed that Novak Djokovic has learned to effectively deal with huge amounts of stress and anxiety in recent years.
The Australian feels that Djokovic's improvement in mental fitness will also boost his chances of making it four out of four at this year's Grand Slams.
"I actually would [pick him to win the Calendar Grand Slam this year than anytime before in his career] and the reason for that I think that mentally, he's learned to cope with an amazing amount of stress, anxiety, the things that have been thrown at him," he stated in the podcast.
"But, they are all past him and I think he's got this open window now where he hasn't got to worry about any of that. He can just go out and play and pull it all together," Woodbridge added.
Novak Djokovic will next be in action at the Dubai Tennis Championship, which is set to commence on February 27.