Novak Djokovic ‘won’t make same mistake twice’ in Calendar Grand Slam bid
Novak Djokovic has been backed by his former coach Marian Vajda to “not make the same mistake twice” in his pursuit of a Calendar Grand Slam this season.
The Slovakian suggested the fact that there are no Olympic Games this year – unlike during the Serb’s previous Calendar Slam bid in 2021 – could be important.
Djokovic claimed a historic 23rd Grand Slam singles title by winning a third French Open crown last week. The victory saw him overtake Rafael Nadal to become the sole player with the most men’s major singles titles.
Having also secured a record-extending 10th Australian Open title in January, the 36-year-old has the opportunity to win all four Grand Slam titles in 2023.
The world No 1 came within one win of achieving the remarkable feat in 2021, losing to Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final after winning the other three majors.
Rod Laver is the only man to win all four major titles in a calendar year in the Open Era, accomplishing this in 1969.
In an interview with Sport SK, Vajda was asked if it was within Djokovic’s power to achieve a Calendar Grand Slam this year.
“It certainly is. He has a huge chance at Wimbledon, psychology will also decide in the USA. The competition will be tougher there, unlike on grass,” the former world No 34 said.
“[Carlos] Alcaraz will be a dangerous defender on concrete (hard courts), [Alexander] Zverev is also coming back, [Daniil] Medvedev will be better.
“Novak will have much stronger competition in New York. This year, however, the Olympics are not held like in Tokyo 2021, so Novak will not make the same mistake twice.”
Vajda also spoke about the significance of the mental edge he feels the 36-year-old has over his younger rivals.
“It’s about the psyche. Djokovic’s Grand Slam experience is priceless. He knows how to play uniquely in space, has an overview of the entire court and can cover it,” added the Slovakian.
“He distributes his forces sensibly, goes through the conditioning, is tactically unattainable and knows how to save his forces. Even losing a set won’t stop him, he is extremely strong mentally. This huge experience is already half the victory when starting a match.”
Vajda coached Djokovic from 2006 until 2022 (with a gap during 2017 and 2018) and helped him win 20 of his Grand Slam titles.
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