Rod Laver, a prominent figure in tennis, proposed on Saturday that the Australian Open trophy be engraved with Novak Djokovic’s initials, as it would require something extraordinary to keep him from winning his 11th title.
Laver, the sole player to achieve the feat of winning all four singles Grand Slams in the same calendar year on two occasions, praised the Serbian superstar as “remarkable” and acknowledged that he would be astonished if anyone managed to surpass him.
The 85-year-old emphasized that he had a comprehensive range of shots and possesses a keen understanding of when to execute them and when not to, as he spoke to Australian media upon his arrival at the tournament from his residence in California.
“He is preparing himself to successfully reach the final.”
Laver, for whom the centre court at the Australian Open is named, further stated that Djokovic’s exceptional athletic ability and astute understanding of tennis distinguish him from all others.
He is able to perceive and understand the actions he should be taking as if it is being revealed to him. “He is an exceptional champion,” stated the Australian tennis player who has won 11 Grand Slam titles.
He performs admirably. His ground strikes are invincible.
“I firmly believe that unless someone miraculously performs at their highest level in tennis to defeat him, they can already begin engraving a portion of his initials on the trophy.”
If Djokovic follows Laver’s expectations, he will achieve his 25th Grand Slam victory, surpassing Margaret Court’s longstanding record.
The 36-year-old experienced a decline in performance during the initial two matches at Melbourne Park, attributing it to his physical discomfort.
However, he quickly regained his previous level of performance and easily advanced to the fourth round, where he will face Adrian Mannarino, the 20th seed from France.