By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Atlas carries the world on his shoulders at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
Novak Djokovic will solidify his status as Tennis Hercules if he hoists the US Open trophy—and a record-extending 25th Grand Slam crown—next month, says Hall of Famer Chrissie Evert.
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Former world No. 1 champions Evert and John McEnroe conducted a Zoom call with the media yesterday promoting ESPN’s first ball to last ball US Open coverage for the 10th consecutive year.
Main-draw action starts on ESPN at noon on Monday, August 26th.
A key question in New York: Will Djokovic be empowered by winning Olympic gold for Serbia to fulfill his nation's dream?
Or will the 37-year-old Serbian superstar exhausted by his June knee surgery, his exceptional effort reaching the Wimbledon final, followed by a very emotional Olympics triumph and festive celebration in Belgrade?
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Evert, who calls the world No. 2 the most driven person she's ever met, says don't doubt Djokovic in New York as he chases a milestone 100th career championship and second straight US Open crown.
"That would be epic if he could do that. But he's a driven person," Evert said of Djokovic. "He's a very driven person beyond anybody that I've ever seen.
"He's had a lot of ups and downs in his life, in his marriage, in his personal relationships, I think, because of being so driven. He also has worked everything out. He's a communicator and he works things out."
Eighteen-time Grand Slam champion Evert said emotionally and mentally Djokovic "seems to be in the best place he's been in a long time right now."
"I think it would be like Herculean if he wins this tournament and gets to 25," Evert said. "I mean, I think hands down he would have to be the greatest player ever, male player ever. I think he already is in a lot of people's minds.
"I just think for him even to have won the Olympics, after what he went through with the surgery, with seemingly Alcaraz starting to take over, starting to get his number as he did at Wimbledon, for him to come back and find that resilience and find that level of tennis, that actually we haven't seen the whole year, because he hasn't won a tournament the whole year, it was like a fairy tale."
Former world No. 1 Andre Agassi calls Djokovic "the best returner I've ever seen."
Former world No. 1 John McEnroe calls Djokovic "the best mover on a hard court I've ever seen in my life."
Former world No. 1 Evert cites a key quality to Djokovic's continued success: Karma.
Seeing Djokovic persevere through so much crap in his career—being castigated by critics, branded "too soft" early in his career by some opponents and doubted and denigrated at times by fervent fans of his rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer—Evert says the Serbian has Karma on his side and deserves all he's achieved because he's worked so hard for all of it.
"It was a fairy tale," Evert said of Djokovic's Olympic win. "But you know what? I believe in karma.
"This guy has worked his butt off his whole life, put up with a lot from press and from being kind of [viewed as] the bad guy with Federer and Nadal. He deserves it. He deserves it all."
Can Djokovic conjure Instant Karma in New York next week?
That will be one of the top storylines to watch at this US Open.