Djokovic: Wimbledon is my 'best chance' to win record 25th Grand Slam title
Novak Djokovic has said he feels optimistic that this year's championship could be his chance to make history as he bids to become the player with the most Grand Slam titles.
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Seven-time-champion Novak Djokovic feels this year's Wimbledon could be his best chance of lifting a record 25th Grand Slam trophy as he prepares for his 20th year at playing the tournament.
At 38, Djokovic is also looking to make history by becoming the oldest winner of a major title. Given his legacy of exceptional form at SW19, the Serbian considers the upcoming championship a prime opportunity.
"My wish is to play for several more years, I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level,” he said.
“That’s the goal, but you never know at this stage.“
"I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance (of a 25th Grand Slam) because of the results I have had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon – just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform the best tennis at the highest level.“
"Whether it could be my last dance, I’m not sure, as I’m not sure about Roland Garros or any other slam that I play next.”
In the latter stages of his career Djokovic has focused less on his ranking and more on his performances in Grand Slams, an approach that has allowed him to be philosophical about losses in lesser events.
He said: “I would say it’s slightly different for me now in terms of I don’t chase the rankings anymore in that regard. I’m trying to play the best tennis in Grand Slams and trying to win Grand Slams. That hasn’t changed.“
"Even though my level of tennis has been going quite up and down and fluctuating much more than it was the case for the most part of my career – if you see the last year and a half I’ve been kind of volatile with my results. Grand Slams stays quite consistent.“
"Except the US Open last year, I was playing quarters or semi-finals. That’s good. That’s a good sign because that’s exactly what I want. These tournaments give me the biggest drive still.“
"This year I played two semi-finals. Unfortunately in Australia I had to retire, in Roland Garros I was outplayed by Sinner. I think I still played a decent level of tennis that showed me that I can still play on a very high level at the later stages.”
Djokovic will face France's Alexande Muller in the first round of Wimbledon on Tuesday.