"It's one of the most important events in the history of the sport": Djokovic plans to play Olympic Games in congested 2024

Novak Djokovic still plans to play the Olympic Games in 2024 in likely his final chance to seal an elusive Olympic gold medal. But he will have to be ready for a crammed schedule he admits.

Djokovic won bronze in Beijing and fell short in London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo two years ago, but the Serbian who will be 37 by the time the games begin will look to bring his three Grand Slam winning form in 2023 to medal contention.

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"My plan for now is to play the Olympic Games, so I'm hoping that I will be able to play, that I will be ready physically and mentally," Djokovic told reporters in Valencia, where he turned up to play in the Davis Cup just days after his U.S. Open triumph.

"It's going to be a very congested and challenging schedule next year, with Roland Garros on clay, Wimbledon on grass, the Olympics on clay and then the U.S. Open and the tournaments before that on hardcourts.

"It's going to be challenging for players, but my plan is to play the Olympics, because it's one of the most important events in the history of the sport. That's where you also represent the country and the feeling of being part of it is a huge honour."

He will play today at the Davis Cup albeit not against Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic who has a much more lighter and pick and choose schedule nowadays still wanted to represent his country despite winning the US Open a matter of days ago.

"I don't feel very fresh, obviously, after an exhausting several months with a lot of tennis and a lot of matches but I think this is in a way a positive tiredness I feel because of the success I had in America," Djokovic continued.

"There's not much time to recover, I have to maintain the intensity and do everything I can to adapt my body to the new time zone, new conditions and be able to contribute to my country with a point."

Danny 🐊

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Slams won since 2011: Djokovic: 23 Nadal and Federer combined: 17 This was never a Big 3 era. We are in the Novak Djokovic era.

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