Novak Djokovic’s triumphant Olympic campaign in Paris could motivate the 37-year-old to keep going for four more years and compete in the Los Angeles Games, his former coach Goran Ivanisevic said.
Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(3) 7-6(2) on Sunday to claim the gold medal and became only the fifth player to achieve a career Golden Slam – winning all four Grand Slam trophies and the Olympic title.
Victory at Roland Garros ended Djokovic’s title drought in an otherwise lacklustre season and came just weeks after he was thrashed by Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final and two months after he had knee surgery following the French Open.
“Novak didn’t show up in the Wimbledon final, but here you could tell … If they stayed for five more hours on that court, the outcome would have been the same,” Ivanisevic told the Tennis Majors website.
“Novak was flying, he was dancing. People forgot this was his first Olympics final, he felt this is it, he has to seize this opportunity.
“Considering how crazy he is, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him in Los Angeles as well.”
Croatian Ivanisevic, who helped Djokovic claim nine of his 24 Grand Slam titles before leaving his team in March, said the Serb was now the firm favourite for the U.S. Open, which begins on Aug. 26.
Djokovic will bid to win a fifth Flushing Meadows title that would see surpass Margaret Court in the all-time list with a 25th major.
“I’m so glad that he finally won this gold. I wish him a 25th Slam, to break the absolute record, and then he can retire, although he’ll never retire, this guy,” Ivanisevic said.
“I think he can find the motivation, the gold will lift him. If he plays like this, he’s the man to beat at the U.S. Open.”
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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