Djokovic is aiming for the Golden Slam in Tokyo 2020: I know there’s history on the line

Novak Djokovic will be the favorite to win the gold medal in men’s singles tennis at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo this year, but the Serbian world number one said he would still act “slowly and carefully.”

“I know it’s going to be boring for you guys to hear me say that I will take things very slowly and cautiously and focus on the next challenge.

“But this is the kind of approach that I really need to have because in the past I wasn’t probably truly experiencing that approach, and that has backfired on me.

“I started to feel that there were lot of distractions around that was influencing my performance,” Djokovic, who owns only a bronze medal from Beijing in 2008, told reporters on Thursday.

Djokovic will be looking to change the colour of his 2008 Olympic medal from bronze to gold and will have the chance to stay in the race to complete a Golden Slam if he manages to win the top prize in Japan’s capital city.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion will have to win the Olympic gold and the US Open later this year to match German legend Steffi Graff’s record of completing the Golden Slam.

Djokovic has already won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon this year and knows there is a lot at stake for him at this year’s Summer Games.

“I know that there is a lot of things on the line, and know there’s history on the line.

“I’m privileged and motivated to be in this position. I’ve worked very hard to be here. Let’s talk about history if everything goes great here after I finish with the tournament.

“I feel great. Physically, mentally I’m ready to perform at my best. I have arguably had the best Grand Slam season in my sport so far. I could not have had a better preparation in the lead-up to the Olympic Games than I have this year,” Djokovic said.

This year the Olympics has seen a number of high-profile withdraws from men’s and women’s singles tennis, including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Djokovic was himself undecided about attending after the organisers decided to ban fans from the stadiums.

“I have not experienced too many big tournaments in the past 15 years without Roger and Rafa playing. So it’s a little bit strange to be honest because I’m used to seeing at least one of them.

“But still some of the best players in the world are here… the guys who are top six, seven in the world and they are the biggest candidates for winning medals,” Djokovic, who will have his first meeting with Bolivia’s 139th-ranked Hugo Dellien, concluded.