Novak Djokovic's continued excellence an 'amazing display of age defiance' according to analyst Gill Gross
ATPThursday, 07 December 2023 at 00:30
Tennis analyst Gill Gross believes
that the success of the world number one Novak Djokovic in 2023 is ‘one of the most
amazing displays of age defiance in sports history’.
The 36-year-old is regarded as the
greatest player in the history of men’s singles tennis in the Open era,
having won 24 Grand Slam titles in his illustrious career. Djokovic had a fabulous
year at the highest level where he ended up lifting three out of four major
titles.
Gross was recently quoted in a
report where he stated that the success of the world number one showed his character
and ability to battle it out against the very best despite being on the wrong
side of the 30s.
“Your 2023 Monday Match Analysis
player of the year goes to Novak Djokovic,” he said. “It was one of the most
amazing displays of age defiance in the history of sports in my opinion – Novak
having one his greatest seasons at 36 years old.
“He won four out of the five
biggest events of the year, came just one match away from the Calendar Slam. I
didn’t realise this until trying to choose performance of the year but in all
four of those five biggest events, his wins [in the finals] came in straight
sets. Dominance.
“His Australian Open run was one of
the most dominant runs of his career if you just look at the scorelines. That’s
where he tied in the Slam race, he joined [Rafael] Nadal as the only man to
have double-digit wins in a single Major – his tenth Australian Open title.
“He went on to win at Roland
Garros, that is when he took the lead in the Slam race. His third Roland Garros
title giving him three or more titles at all four Slams – the only man to do
that.
“In New York, similar to Australia,
where part of it was returning to an event that he wasn’t allowed to play last
year. But in this case, it was an event he hasn’t won since 2018, with a lot of
things going against him since 2018. And yet again, he ripped through the
second week without coming close to losing a single match.”
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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