Although Novak Djokovic has the most Grand Slams in ATP history, he has not won the most titles across all events. Being 10 titles away from matching Jimmy Connors’ record, Djokovic has some work ahead of him in this respect. However, as a short-term goal, the Serb would love to reach the 100-title milestone with a win at the tournament that he loves dearly – the Shanghai Masters.
Djokovic has had a subpar season according to his standards, winning merely the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics. Many have criticized him for lacking the motivation to add more silverware to his trophy cabinet. However, the 24-time Grand Slam winner is keen to prove them wrong by expressing his desire to win the ATP Masters 1000 in Shanghai.
During a recent appearance on “The AO Show,” the 37-year-old revealed his love for playing on Chinese soil. After shedding light on the 10 titles he’s won in China – six in Beijing and four in Shanghai – Nole also claimed that he’s inspired to lift title no.100 two weeks later.
“China has been a very successful and happy place for me. I just love playing here, love the conditions, love the support that I get. I also have an extra motivation of trying to go for my 100th title,” Djokovic said.
Not many enthusiasts or pundits have backed the Belgrade native to win the second-last ATP Masters 1000 competition of the calendar year. To be fair, these individuals aren’t inaccurate with their predictions.
These analysts believe that a lack of tournament experience in 2024 could hurt Djokovic’s chances to win. However, the former World No.1 is set to use this “freshness,” along with his past experience, to clinch a milestone title win.
“I’m trying to improve daily on my practice sessions. I play a lot of practice points, games, sets, and get to the desired level because I haven’t been playing too many tournaments lately so I have some catching up to do with the others,” Nole concluded.
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Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will be the frontrunners to lift the title in Shanghai because of their recent form. However, Djokovic has often proved to the tennis community that betting against him isn’t a smart option. Despite an unsuccessful 2024 campaign, a player of Djoker’s capabilities can never be underestimated.
The quest for the 100th title will begin for Djokovic on Saturday. Fans can watch him face the winner of the Alex Michelsen-Yunchaokete Bu first-round encounter on the Tennis Channel.
