Defending champion Novak Djokovic says he shall be further motivated to assert a fourth successive Wimbledon title because it may very well be his final Grand Slam motion of the 12 months.
The 35-year-old Serb missed the Australian Open after being deported for not having been vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19 and won’t be allowed to compete on the U.S. Open for the identical cause.
Those choices have severely impacted Djokovic’s hopes of successful probably the most Grand Slam titles, with Rafael Nadal now holding the file on 22, in comparison with Djokovic’s 20.
With Australia imposing strict entry standards, it is doubtless that Wimbledon may very well be Djokovic’s final Grand Slam occasion till subsequent 12 months’s French Open.
“As of as we speak I’m not allowed to enter the States underneath these circumstances. I’m conscious of that. That is an additional motivation to do nicely right here,” he instructed reporters on Saturday.
“Hopefully I can have an excellent event, as I’ve achieved within the final three editions. Then I’ll simply have to attend and see. I might like to go to States.
“But as of as we speak, that’s not doable.”
Q. About the US Open, you mentioned there’s nothing you are able to do at this level. But you do nonetheless have time to get vaccinated earlier than New York to make it in time for the US. Is that one thing you have utterly closed your thoughts to as an possibility going ahead, or…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes.
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) June 25, 2022
Should Djokovic retain the title he could be solely the fourth man within the fashionable period to win 4 successive Wimbledon crowns.
It would additionally put him stage with Pete Sampras on seven Wimbledon titles, one behind file holder Roger Federer. “I might like to be able to struggle for one other trophy,” prime seed Djokovic mentioned.
“Pete Sampras, successful his first Wimbledon, was the primary tennis match I ever noticed on the TV. So, after all, there’s lots of connection to this event. Pete has gained it seven occasions. Hopefully, yeah, I can do the identical this 12 months.”
Even if Djokovic wins he’ll lose the two,000 rating factors he is defending from final 12 months, following the ATP and WTA determination to strip the tournaments of factors within the wake of the ban on gamers from Russia and Belarus.
Djokovic was additionally prevented from defending 2,000 factors in Melbourne, however says he is not overly involved. “My priorities are totally different now,” he mentioned.
While respecting Wimbledon’s stance, Djokovic mentioned he feels it is unfair that Russian gamers, together with world primary Daniil Medvedev, will not be competing on the grasscourt main.
“I perceive each side. It’s actually onerous to say what is proper, what is unsuitable. But in my coronary heart as an athlete, placing myself able the place somebody would ban me from enjoying due to these circumstances, and I’ve not contributed to that, I wouldn’t assume that’s truthful,” he mentioned.
“Let me remind you that again within the 90s, from 92 to 96, any athlete from Serbia was not allowed to compete on the worldwide stage in any sport. At that point I used to be too younger, however I do know athletes that had been competing at the moment.
“I understand how it affected their lives. Many of them have left their sport as a result of 4 years is a really very long time.”