"Without Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, everything is different" - Swiss' ex-coach questions Novak Djokovic's ability to stay motivated after Olympics
Roger Federer's former coach, Ivan Ljubicic, cast doubt on Novak Djokovic's ability to stay motivated without the presence of the Swiss and Rafael Nadal after the upcoming Paris Olympics. Djokovic had previously stated that playing without Federer, who retired two years ago, and Rafael Nadal, who has missed many tournaments due to injury, gave him a "strange feeling.
Djokovic opined before starting his campaign at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells earlier this year.The 24-time Major champion added that it was similar to how John McEnroe felt when Bjorn Borg retired.
“I remember that John McEnroe said in one of the documentaries I saw recently, that when Bjorn Borg retired, he felt that part of him also retired , even though he continued playing. And I must say that it is a similar feeling to the one I have , with Roger retiring and Rafa not playing much. It is a strange feeling ,” Novak Djokovic said ( via Eurosport).
While Federer is no longer active and Nadal is likely playing his last season, Novak Djokovic could witness a significant change in the tennis landscape, having emerging stars such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner against him.
Ivan Ljubicic highlighted the same recently in an interview with Sportklub. The Croat believes that the competitive environment for the Serb would be different without Federer and Nadal after the Olympics.
"He will certainly be motivated in Paris, but what will he do after that? Without Federer, without Nadal, everything is different," he said ( via Punto de Break).
Djokovic's most recent appearance was at Wimbledon 2024, where he faced his current rival, Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard defended his title, convincingly defeating the Serb 2-6, 2-6, 6-7 (4).
"I’m gonna have to play much better" - Novak Djokovic aims to improve at the Paris Olympics 2024
At the press conference following the Wimbledon final, Novak Djokovic praised Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, admitting that he had not been at the level required to beat them. The Serb acknowledged the need to improve his game and vowed to perform better at the Paris Olympics 2024.
"Both of them (Sinner and Alcaraz) are the best this year by far… I feel like I’m not at that level. In order to really have a chance to beat these guys in the Grand Slam latter stages or Olympics, I’m gonna have to play much better than I did today and feel much better than I did today. I'm gonna work on it," Djokovic said [at 9:00].
The Serb will not compete in any tournament before the Olympics. He currently has 23 wins out of 30 fixtures so far in 2024. The Paris Games will be Djokovic's fifth appearance at the Olympics, with his only medal being a bronze at Beijing 2008.
He finished fourth twice in London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 while suffering an opening-round exit in Rio 2016.