Novak Djokovic will return to his best more motivated and stronger after the setback of losing his immortal status at the Australian Open with defeat to Jannik Sinner believes tennis legend, Rod Laver.
Laver spoke to Tennis World and said that he would've learnt from the defeat to Sinner and will return to his best again. This is despite the last chance of winning the Golden Slam going and another shot at the Calendar Slam achieved by Laver.
“Novak is an incredible champion. He constantly fuels his mental strength and motivation. Precisely for this reason and for all the successes he has achieved in his career, it is expected that he can always win every match,” the Australian told Tennis World.
“In my opinion, Novak Djokovic will have learned something from this defeat [to Sinner]. He will recover and come back stronger and more motivated once again.”
But quizzed on the GOAT debate, Laver admitted it is a difficult case to make either way due to the different generations and different factors that make up every era.
“I have always said and I repeat that it is difficult to make comparisons between the different tennis eras,” Laver continued.
“Over time, too many factors have changed, from materials to athletic preparation. Today there are entire teams that work for the players. The best thing is to celebrate the feats without doing comparisons.”
The same can be said for the Calendar Slam that he called one of the 'rarest honours' in sport and one that he achieved and Djokovic has come so close to achieving.
“Tennis can always be unpredictable. There are no certainties. Winning all four Grand Slams in the same year in singles is one of the rarest honours. It means having to win 28 matches in the toughest matches that everyone wants to try to win,” he added.
“You have to hope to be well, stay in shape and above all you have to be able to beat all the strongest tennis players in the world more than once.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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