Novak Djokovic has highlighted his love for the Olympic Games after Patrick Mouratoglou said that an Olympic medal lacks value for a tennis player in comparison to Grand Slam titles.
Esteemed tennis coach Mouratoglou recently posted a video clip explaining why he thinks players don't focus on the Olympics as much as athletes do in other sports.
The 53-year-old, who has worked with the likes of Serena Williams in the past, said that the lack of a historical connection between the sport and the Games, as well as the amount of tournaments on the Tours, has meant that majors are seen as more important.
"A lot of tennis players don’t feel that it [Olympics] is such an important event for tennis. Initially, tennis was at the Olympics, then it got out, and finally, tennis was reintroduced... A Grand Slam is 100 times more important for a tennis player than the Olympic Games," he said.
However, several players of the past and present have argued against this view, with Rennae Stubbs and John Millman among those stressing the importance of the Olympic Games to players.
Now, 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic has supported this view on a personal level, saying that the Games have always meant a lot to him.
"I personally would not fully agree with that because the Games mean a lot to me and I can't wait to be at the Games. I hope that I will be able to bring another medal to Serbia," he said in a recent interview with Sportal.
However, he admitted that many other players do prioritize Grand Slams over the Olympics. Nevertheless, he still called the opportunity to represent his country "one of the greatest honors."
"It is not a priority for many tennis players, and I agree with Patrick in that part. It's true.
"One of the greatest honors for an athlete is to represent your country at the Games. I had the great honor of carrying the flag at the opening ceremony in London, and for me the Games are a very special competition," he continued.
Novak Djokovic responds to Mouratoglou saying Olympics isn’t important to a lot of players: “I saw his statement & I would not completely agree with him. The Olympic Games are the oldest sporting event. Every sport that is Olympic, values the Olympic Games, at least in my…
