A passionate Novak Djokovic and his entourage have fired a warning shot at his tennis adversaries as behind-the-scenes footage emerged just hours after his gritty progression into the fourth round of the French Open.
Despite not clinching a title yet in 2024 and acknowledging his battle with form and motivation, the Serbian ace and 24-time Grand Slam champion demonstrated his legendary resilience and mental strength, rallying from behind to secure a five-set victory over Lorenzo Musetti in a match that concluded at the ungodly hour of 3am.
Even though Djokovic, 37, used to breeze through early Grand Slam rounds, his triumphant roar on Court Philippe-Chatrier signalled a hard-fought win. Post-match, as he strolled down the tunnel, there was a palpable sense of relief as he acknowledged his team.
Following his triumph, which set up a clash with Francisco Cerundolo in the next round, Djokovic's camp didn't hesitate to send a clear signal to their competition.
A video capturing an intense Djokovic embracing a team member was shared on Roland Garros' social media platforms. In the midst of this heartfelt moment, a voice from Djokovic's squad can be heard declaring: "It's only the beginning," matched by the Serb's celebratory bellow.
Boris Becker “stronger” after prison stint as he posts New Year message to fans
The Serbian tennis ace, who has previously clinched the French Open title three times, including last year when he defeated Casper Ruud in straight sets, is once again the No. 1 seed this year, reports the Express.
If Djokovic can tap into his top form, it's unlikely that any of his competitors will be able to match him - and it's not looking promising for his rivals as the 37-year-old seems incredibly fired up, particularly after his latest victory.
Djokovic recently confessed that his motivation fluctuates but it appears he's found his drive again following his comeback victory on Saturday night. Speaking to Tennis Majors, Djokovic revealed: "It varies, it's not consistent - one week it's like this, other week it's like that. A post shared by Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros)"At Slams, there is still a lot of motivation.
"At other tournaments not so much, but Slams, playing for Serbia, Olympics... Those kind of things still move me, still give me strength and desire. I mean, that really is sufficient at this point in my career, that's why I still play professionally."
Despite showing signs of fatigue, Djokovic managed to bounce back from being 2-1 down on sets to triumph over the Italian player. After securing the first set 7-5, Djokovic lost the next two sets 7-6 (8-6) and 6-2.
Djokovic's marathon encounter against Lorenzo Musetti left fans aghast ((Image: Getty))Many spectators believed he was heading for an early departure, given his performance in 2024. However, as he's done countless times before, Djokovic found the extra gear that has led him to numerous victories, winning the subsequent two sets 6-3 and 6-0.
Despite the late hour, with the match kicking off at 10.45pm and sunrise just around the corner, Djokovic seemed to have tapped into a fresh well of competitive drive. He was in such good spirits that he declined to criticise the much-maligned scheduling, even after a spat with the umpire over the time he took between serves.
"I don't want to get into it [the schedule]. I have my opinions but I think there are great things to talk about in this match today Both Lorenzo and my performances stand out so I don't want to be talking about the schedule. I think some things could have been handled a different way but there's also a beauty in winning a match [so late]."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
