"When you've licked gold, you're not satisfied with silver": Becker on Djokovic's Grand Slam drive as he chases GOAT record

ATP
Friday, 13 January 2023 at 16:30
novak djokovic rg 2021 5
Boris Becker talked to Eurosport in his role as an analyst for the upcoming Australian Open and he mostly focused on Djokovic and how it will look like for him.
Becker was a coach for Djokovic during a time and he knows the Serbian very well. He knows how he operates and what makes him go and that was referenced in his talk to Eurosport. Like many, Becker thinks that Djokovic is the favourite to win the Australian Open but not as much as he was in the past:
“The favourite, yes, also the top favourite, but not as clear as in the past. The Rod Laver Arena is his living room, he feels most comfortable there and has won the title nine times. He recently won the preparatory tournament in Adelaide by beating Sebastian Korda in the final, and before that, defeated strong opponents Daniil Medvedev and Denis Shapovalov in the semi-finals and quarter-finals, respectively."
He continued:
“But it won't be an easy tournament. The expectations are high, and Novak wants to equal Nadal's Grand Slam record. In addition, he seems to have something wrong with his thigh and is probably not at 100 per cent.”
He also talked about Djokovic's motivation moving forward:
"When you've licked gold, you're not satisfied with silver. In the depths of his soul, Novak wants to become the most successful tennis player of all time. At the moment, that's Nadal, you have to say that clearly. This record of Nadal's is the highest priority for Djokovic. Anything else would not be credible.”

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