Former
world No. 4 Tim Henman is anticipating the 2024 season and has chosen Novak
Djokovic as the favorite for the upcoming year. At 36 years old, the Serbian
tennis athlete continues to dominate the Tour, having secured three Grand Slam
victories and finishing 2023 as the world No. 1.
In a recent
interview with Eurosport, six-times Grand Slam semifinalist Tim Henman
expressed no doubts in positioning Djokovic as the player to beat in 2024:
"So, in 2024, for sure, Djokovic is the player to beat. I think he's the
favourite at the start of the year and I still think he will dominate,"
stated Henman.
Rivalry
with Nadal and Federer
The former
doubles silver medalist in the Olympic Games shared his perspective on
Djokovic's pursuit and surpassing of the records held by Roger Federer and
Rafael Nadal within the Big-3. Henman highlighted Djokovic's sustained
excellence, stating, "I think for such a long time he's been chasing
Federer and Nadal and all those different records: the number of Grand Slam
wins or finishing the year No. 1 or weeks at No. 1.... and now he's overtaken
them. He's achieved it, including an Olympic medal, and he's playing better
than ever,” remarked Henman.
Djokovic
ended the year as the world No. 1 for the 8th time in his career, a historic
achievement. The Serbian once again asserted his dominance by winning three
Grand Slam titles, securing his 24th major and definitively surpassing Nadal's
22, while extending his lead over Federer, who has 20.
'Nole'
concluded the year with an impressive record of 56-7 (89%) and claimed seven
titles. Additionally, he matched his best record in Grand Slam tournaments with
a remarkable 27-1, a feat he previously achieved in 2015 and 2021. The only
blemish came in the Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz.