Novak Djokovic urged to cool talk about Calendar Grand Slam and ‘rule in silence’

Novak Djokovic should only concentrate on Wimbledon and put talk of winning a Calendar Grand Slam to one side, according to Boris Becker.

For the second time in three years Djokovic finds himself two majors away from completing the most difficult feats in tennis: winning all four Grand Slams in a calendar year.

The Serbian won the French Open last Sunday and with the Australian Open already in the bag, he now only needs to win Wimbledon and the US Open to join the great Rod Laver as the only men’s players in the Open Era to win all four Slams in a year.

Back in 2021 Djokovic found himself in a more advanced position as he only needed the US Open to complete the milestone, but then came up short in the Flushing Meadows final against Daniil Medvedev.

Six-time Grand Slam winner Becker hopes the 23-time Grand Slam winner learns a lesson from the 2021 experience.

Speaking Eurosport Germany’s Das Gelbe vom Ball podcast, he said: “It would be a mistake, from his point of view, to make it obvious now.

“Because you know what happened last time: He won three, was in the final and then couldn’t stand the nervous strain.

“That’s why he should really only concentrate on Wimbledon. But the man wants to break records. I don’t know which one he can still break, the Calendar Grand Slam in one year, that’s maybe the only one still outstanding. 100 per cent, he’s thinking, but I hope he won’t talk about it and just go out on the grass, try to win Wimbledon now, and then the US Open will come at some point.

“As an athlete, I think it’s a mistake to talk too loudly about the big goals, to tell the public what you’re up to. Talking about it for a long time after a victory is fine, but before a victory, it’s often a mistake, and often you don’t win that.

“That’s why: Rule in silence, train and then win, and then you can talk about your victory for weeks. I think at Wimbledon, he is still in a state of euphoria, he is on cloud nine, and for me, he is the clear top favourite.”

By winning the French Open, Djokovic also moved ahead of Rafael Nadal in terms of the outright record for most Grand Slams won by a man, but as always the big question is: how many will he win before he retires?

Becker added: “But then comes the summer break, and he has to ask himself when he has 23 Grand Slams, or 24 with a Wimbledon win: Where is the journey going? ‘I can’t and don’t want to play forever’. He also answered this question after the press conference, according to the motto: ‘When I stop winning, then the question arises’.

“‘But as long as I win Grand Slam tournaments, I want to do that until the end of my days’, so as long as he keeps winning, as long as he is still playing for the big titles, he will keep going. At some point, the younger generation will overtake him, but I don’t see that happening for a while yet.”

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