by Bob Stockton
@BobStockton10
Tennis has continued its impressive return, since the coronavirus pandemic. That saw Wimbledon cancelled in 2020, in what is one of the marquee events of the tennis season. It was another that was difficult to take for Novak Djokovic, as he was the clear favorite heading into the event. His aim has long been about the Grand Slam titles record and surpassing both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The trio have been the dominant forces of the sport for over a decade and this looks set to continue for years to come, as they have kept picking up the major honors in the sport. Djokovic is still eyeing the record, as he moves ever closer to the records set.
At present, both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have 20 Grand slam title victories each. This puts them three clear of Djokovic on 17 but there is no doubting his chances of over-taking the other pair. He starts as the favorite for three of the four majors, with Nadal remaining the dominant force on clay at the French Open. He looks likely to continue picking up the title at Roland Garros, so Djokovic will need to remain successful at the others to push for the Grand Slam titles record.
Djokovic does have many positives over the others, to think he will surpass them and finish his career as the man with the most Grand Slam titles in history. He is the youngest of the three at 33 years of age and has a clear edge over the other two in performances in recent years. The Australian Open is up next, and he again is going in as the strong favorite for the title, with coral offering 5/4 on the victory. He picked up victories in both 2019 and 2020, so you would have to expect another victory in 2021, based on his dominant form at the competition over the last few years. As mentioned, the French Open also remains a difficult one for Djokovic, as he has just one victory in his career. With Nadal dominating, this is not one he is likely to be focusing on.
The US Open is another that he has had success at, with three victories to date. His last came back in 2018 and he will again start as the favorite to 2021. This could be an important venue for him breaking the record, so he will be looking to return to winning ways at the event in 2021. The final Grand Slam is Wimbledon and widely regarded as the most important each year on the tour. Djokovic will again start as the overwhelming favorite, having won the last two editions in both 2018 and 2019. He will also be looking to extend on his five titles at the tournament and this could be the key event, looking ahead to him breaking the record come the end of his career. Djokovic overall is the clear best player in the world at present, so he does appear set to break the Grand Slam record, as long as he does not get injured.
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