Djokovic’s reign of supremacy
On course for a non-calendar grand slam for the second time in his career, Djokovic is hoping to continue the dominance he established over the past six months. During the second half of 2018, the world No.1 claim two major and two Masters 1000 trophies. A run that contributed to him becoming the oldest ever year-end No.1 player.
Starting 2019 in Qatar at the Doha Open, Djokovic’s recent supremacy was abruptly halted. After coming through a duo of testing matches, he was knocked out in the semi-finals by Roberto Bautista Agut. Despite the recent loss, Djokovic is looking for another strong run at the place where he won his maiden slam 11 years ago.
“It was my first major trophy, that obviously served as a great springboard for my career,” he reflected.
“It opened a lot of doors for me. It allowed me to believe in myself that I can actually win the biggest tournaments in the world, challenge the best players in the world.”
A six-time champion in Melbourne, Djokovic is targeting his 15th major title. A milestone that will see him overtake Pete Sampras to be placed third on the all-time list. Reflecting on his maiden success at the 2008 Australian Open, Djokovic explained how it has given him more belief in the sport.
“If you won it once, you always believe that you can win it again,” he said. “So you’re approaching … slams knowing in the back of their mind that they can actually win it again.
“It raises expectations, which raises pressure, and you have to deal with that. But it comes with, I think, experience and time where you start to feel more comfortable. You start to embrace it more and accept it as part of your life.”
So far in his career, Djokovic has won 27.4 percent of his return games against top-10 opponents. The best among players on the ATP Tour.
