‘Novak Djokovic can win the Golden Slam but there are reasons not to do it’, assesses top coach
Patrick Mouratoglou has declared he believes Novak Djokovic can win all four Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal in 2024 but feels there are “dangers.”
The renowned coach thinks the Serbian great will be as motivated next year as he was in 2023 because he wants to establish a record of Grand Slam titles that will never be broken.
Djokovic won three of the four Grand Slam tournaments this year – the fourth time he achieved this following stellar campaigns in 2011, 2015 and 2021. The world No 1 holds the record for the most men’s Majors with 24, with his rival Rafael Nadal second on 22.
In 2021, Djokovic won the first three Grand Slam events of the year in a historic run, but missed out on a medal at the Tokyo Olympics, before losing the US Open final to fall one win short of a Calendar Grand Slam.
The world No 1 will have another opportunity to complete a Golden Slam (winning all four Majors and an Olympic gold medal in a season) next season – with 2024 an Olympic year.
After winning the 2023 ATP Finals, Djokovic mentioned the possibility of a Golden Slam when asked how he keeps himself motivated and if it is possible to improve on this year.
“Well, you can win four Slams and Olympic gold (smiling). Let’s see. I mean, I have always the highest ambitions and goals. That’s not going to be different for the next year, that’s for sure,” the 36-year-old said in his press conference.
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Speaking in a video shared on his Instagram account, Mouratoglou looked ahead to Djokovic’s 2024 season and discussed his Golden Slam prospects.
“I think Novak in 2024 will be as hungry as he was in 2023. He has a huge goal, he wants to establish a record of Grand Slams who will probably never, ever be beaten in the history. And he’s in a position to do it. He’s 36, he has 24 Grand Slams – already the record,” the Frenchman said.
“He’s fresh physically and mentally. He said, ‘why not win the four Grand Slams next year?’ Maybe it sounds crazy but he won three this year, plus one final. He was one match away from winning the four.
“So he can think about it. And of course the Olympic gold, because that’s the only title that he’s missing and he wants it. Can he do it? Yes he can do it. There will be, of course, reasons not to do it.
“He can get injured and he can be beaten, because he’s not unbeatable. He’s been beaten in the final of Wimbledon by [Carlos] Alcaraz. He lost to [Jannik] Sinner, Holger Rune. Those guys are dangerous and they are the dangers for him.
“But for the moment, he’s still above, and on the big moments when it’s very important. When it’s the big matches, the ones that count the most, his mental strength makes the difference.”
Mouratoglou, who coaches at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France, has worked with several tennis stars, including Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Coco Gauff, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune.
