Novak Djokovic has an aura about him this season that has many believing he might do something that hasn’t been done for decades in tennis- win the calendar slam. With two Majors already in the bag this season, Nole has embarked on his quest to lift his 8th Wimbledon title. And while he has been propped up as an overwhelming favorite in London, not everyone is of the same belief.
Retired player and the 2010 French Open winner Francesca Schiavone has given her take on Djokovic and Wimbledon and she is firmly of the mind that while the Serbian has an edge, he is not unbeatable. Even a king can be dethroned is her sentiment.
Novak Djokovic is the king
The current season has been one where Djokovic has dominated not just the Grand Slams but also many of the conversations. With Roger Federer no longer plying this particular trade and Rafael Nadal in something of a limbo, many are realizing just what a behemoth Djokovic is. At an age where the other two members of the Big Three have had to bow down to their physical limitations, the Serb seems to be as fit and as ever and hungrier than ever.
Even hordes of his detractors are now sitting up and admitting that this is something special that the Serbian is serving everyone. Naturally, such an aura has many questioning whether Novak can even be stopped. When the same question was put to Francesca Schiavone, she had an emphatic answer.
“No, everyone is beatable. Djokovic is the king right now, but it’s a moment to be able to unseat him. The level is so high and the balance so fine, I’m talking about 51%-49%, that it will be an extraordinary Wimbledon”.
An athlete playing a sport like tennis, where you’re all alone out there on the court battling your opponent, you have to have a different level of self-belief. Without it, you’ll never really make it past challenging hurdles that you come across.
And Schiavone, having been a competitor herself, makes complete sense when she says Djokovic is not unbeatable. However infallible the Serb may seem, his competition has to believe there is a chance of beating him. In fact, it would be an insult to the man himself to say he is unbeatable. That would be akin to saying it is not even a challenge for him to win Wimbledon, taking away from the achievement should he do so eventually.
And Novak Djokovic himself would never say he is unbeatable. After all, if he’d ever had that kind of a mindset, he would never have been able to challenge the status quo in tennis as a young player when Federer and Nadal were absolutely dominating everything and everyone in tennis.
Who can challenge Djokovic?
So if Djokovic is indeed beatable, who have it in them to challenge him? With the usual suspects not participating, it comes down to some of the youngest players out there. First off, Carlos Alcaraz is a player that has really made heads turn, impressing everyone with his exploits in the last couple of years. And now with a title on grass under his belt too, he will be highly optimistic of going all the way.
Another youngster and a player everyone is hoping will be a rival to Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner is another player who has tremendous potential. In fact, Schiavone has high hopes from her compatriot too, putting him ahead of other Italians.
“I say Sinner, because I like him a lot. I obviously hope that Matteo Berrettini can get back to being in great shape, but I’m taking Sinner. Musetti has managed to find a balance that I really like, but this year I’m taking Sinner”.
While Sinner undoubtedly has a ton of potential and seems destined for success in the sport, he seems to be lacking a mental edge at this stage in his career. He often comes across as a player who does not have a plan B. That side of the game will surely come to him soon where he can adapt better to the situation he is facing in any match, against any opponent. He certainly had Djokovic on the ropes last year at Wimbledon, going 2-0 sets up before losing the next three.
And lastly, Daniil Medvedev is a player who can be quite unpredictable but also someone who is very difficult to stop once he gets going. Now pitching him as a threat to Djokovic at Wimbledon might seem a little far-fetched to most given the fact that his best showing at the Major is a fourth round defeat in 2021. But the Russian always has a surprise in him. You never know what will motivate him to produce unplayable tennis. Perhaps a few boos from the crowd…?
