Chris Evert ‘feels bad for Novak Djokovic’ as ‘he had the momentum’ before the hiatus

Former world No 1 Chris Evert believes Novak Djokovic could turn out to be one of the biggest losers from tennis’ enforced break as “he had the momentum” before the sport came to an abrupt halt.
Djokovic started the 2020 season with an 18-match winning streak as he won the ATP Cup with Serbia, the Australian Open and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
However, the sport came to a halt at the beginning of March due to the coronavirus pandemic while August 1 has been pencilled in as a possible return date.
“I feel bad for Novak. He had the momentum,” 18-time Grand Slam winner Evert told the Roland Garros website.
“Everyone was saying, ‘Is he going to win a Grand Slam? Is he going to win four in a row? He was playing awesome tennis and then all of a sudden (season stopped). He’ll be an interesting story to see if he can get that momentum back.”
One of the big debates about the shutdown has been who will bounce back quicker once the sport eventually gets underway again.
Some believe veterans like Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will hit the ground running while others feel the younger generation will do well.
“I have a sneaky suspicion that the players that have been around for a long time, especially Serena, Roger, Rafa, I think they’re going to dive right into it,” she said.
“They’re appreciating that they can be with their family. They’re appreciating that they can rest their bodies. But they also know that time is not on their side.”
Follow us on Twitter @T365Official.
Latest
-
Tennis News
Roger Federer sends his fans into a frenzy with Twitter post ahead of his return to action
Roger Federer fans are counting down to his return to action in Doha next week and his tweet teasing his return instantly became a big hit.
-
Tennis News
Iga Swiatek’s perfect week as she claims her second WTA title
Iga Swiatek won her second career WTA title with victory over Belinda Bencic in the final of the Adelaide International.
-
News
Jamie Murray says quarantine threat on tour means players must be ready to adapt
The doubles specialist plans to travel to tournaments in Mexico and Miami next month without knowing what to expect on arrival.
-
Tennis News
Battle of the Brits event is back and this time with spectators
The Battle of the Brits events were a huge success during the Covid-19 crisis and now they are set to return with spectators.
-
Tennis Features
The only way is up for Naomi Osaka as she looks to replicate hard-court success on clay and grass
Oli Jefford on the world being Naomi Osaka’s oyster.
-
Kevin Palmer
Britain’s strength in depth in doubles highlights quality of structure
British tennis may be wondering who can replace Andy Murray, but they have a very different story to tell in the doubles arena.
-
Tennis News
Rafael Nadal pulls out of his next event due to ‘ongoing’ back problem
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the ABN…
-
Tennis News
Lleyton Hewitt to be inducted into International Tennis Hall Of Fame
Former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt is the latest player who will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
-
Tennis Features
Five of the best men’s matches at the Australian Open featuring Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Rafael Nadal, and more
The matches that made us sit up and take note.
-
Australian Open
Five of the best women’s matches at Australian Open featuring Naomi Osaka vs Garbine Muguruza, and more
Five of the best women’s singles matches at the 2021 Aus Open.