They are close, but they are far - the journey of new tennis stars towards Novak Djokovic's greatness
ATPSunday, 17 December 2023 at 11:30
Ex-coach of the former world number one Serena Williams believes
younger players are getting closer to competing with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic but are
still not there yet.
The 36-year-old is regarded as the greatest player in the
history of men’s singles tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 24 Grand
Slam titles. Djokovic had a fabulous season in 2023 where he ended up winning
three out of four Grand Slam titles.
Those victories came as a little surprising considering many
predicted the Belgrade-born to struggle against the young rising stars like
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Denmark’s Holger Rune.
Serenas’ ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou was recently quoted in
a report where he stated that younger players are getting closer to competing with the
current world number one but they still have some distance to cover.
“They are close, but they are far,” he said. “They are close
in terms of level. Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic in the final of
Wimbledon, Holger Rune beat him two times, one time last year and one time this
year.
“So the level is really good. The level of tennis is very
close to his. Now what makes the difference is still his ability to compete and
his mental strength, that puts him still in a way, way above. Because if you
look at his season, he won three Grand Slams and reached the final at the other.”
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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