He could be the president of Serbia if he chooses to be. His country always had his back. However, Novak Djokovic decided to stand on the tennis court. His journey has been everything but pleasant. Starting his career as an unwanted disturbance of the Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer era. He fought not only his opponents but also the tennis stands as they booed him on the court. Djokovic has experienced it all. And right now, at the Paris Olympics, things are not going to slow down for the 24-time Grand Slam champion. Though the same can’t be said for the Serbian ace as age seems to come into play.

As the Paris Olympics are knocking at the door, the tennis draw is out. While some players were handed a favorable chip in a bid to ease their journey to the medal-assuring stages. Djokovic would have to grind his way throughout the tournament. His first match is against Mathew Ebden, though they have not clashed their racquets before. And may not give the Serbian a tough time, unless he is the dark horse at the Paris. However, Djokovic’s 2nd match could be anything.

If Nadal dissipates his ghost from the French Open, where he suffered a first-round exit, he would meet Djokovic for the 60th time. This would also mean that Djokovic’s wish to play Nadal once before he retires would also be fulfilled at the Olympics. But is it the right time? There are 2 things to consider. First, both players may not be at the peak of their fitness. While Nadal enjoys the sunset of his career, Djokovic is fresh out of surgery with a runner-up trophy at Wimbledon and no rest. And second, this Nadal should never be discounted on the clay court!

If Djokovic gets through the Nadal battle, he will be facing Arthur Fils in the 3rd round. This would be their first encounter, however, if his win at Hamburg over Alexander Zverev was any indicator of his form, Fils is more than ready to battle Djokovic. If Djokovic gets past the Fils challenge, Stefanos Tsitsipas awaits him. Statistics point towards an overwhelming 11-2 record in favor of the Serbian ace with the latter winning all the encounters in the last 4 years. And Djokovic would love to keep the record that way.

Next come the semifinals, where either of the players – Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Lorenzo Musetti – would await him. If it’s Zverev, then it would be a rematch of the Tokyo Olympics, where the German brushed aside the Serbian threat to make his way to the finals. Moreover, Zverev was the Roland Garros finalist this year. A tough competitor. Though Fritz could be the more preferred opponent, as Djokovic has an impressive record against the American with 9-0 in his favor.

This year’s French Open winner, Carlos Alcaraz, is anticipated to be one of the finalists. Could Djokovic get past all the tough players to set up another back-to-back final rematch with the Spaniard?

Novak Djokovic “want(s) it all” to bury the ghost of Olympic failures in the past

It’s not easy to forget the dreaded Tokyo Olympics, where the Serbian ace was anything but calm and composed. The pressure got him, as he fought for Olympic glory. However, that water flowed under the bridge years ago. And Djokovic is back as a hungry beast to give another shot to the elusive Olympic gold. While everyone must be full of doubts regarding his form on the clay court after the grass swing. But Djokovic is confident about getting through everything.

He said, “Of course, the Olympics are a huge desire of mine – it’s a unique opportunity, I have a bronze from Beijing 2008… A lot of things are different at the Olympics – you can’t bring your whole team, some of the routines you usually have are limited, there are a lot of athletes from other sports, which gives you the energy on one hand, but it drains you on the other… All those things you mentioned – I want it all, why not, and we’ll see where it ends,”

Hopefully it ends on the positive note for the Serbian ace, as he is the only member of Big 3 crew, who is yet to win an Olympics Gold!