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Novak Djokovic said that being world No 1 can be the “best and worst” thing after setting up a possible French Open quarterfinal against old rival Rafael Nadal yesterday.
The reigning champion, bidding to equal Nadal’s men’s record of 21 Grand Slam titles, eased to a 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 victory in his last-16 tie against 15th seed Diego Schwartzman.
He has spent a record-breaking 371 weeks as the ATP No 1, but says that can make matches more difficult.
“Being No 1 is the best and worst thing about being No 1,” Djokovic said. “I have been blessed to be No 1 that many weeks throughout my career.
“That was always the highest goal beginning of every season, particularly being in the era with (Roger) Federer, Nadal, the guys that are greats of the game. So of course that makes the success even bigger.
“On the other hand, the downside of being No 1 is that you are always being chased by everyone else that wants to dethrone you and wants to win against you in every single match, regardless of the size or category of the tournament.”
Djokovic is playing in a major tournament for the first time this year after being deported from the Australian Open, where Nadal won his 21st Slam, over his Covid vaccination status.
The world No 1 is still to drop a set at Roland Garros after cruising through the first week.
The 35-year-old is looking for a third French Open title after securing a second crown last year by defeating Nadal in the semifinals and coming back from two sets behind to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.
“Somehow winning a title here is always probably the hardest of any Slam for me,” added Djokovic who will face Nadal for the 10th time at Roland Garros if the 13-time champion defeats Felix Auger-Aliassime later Sunday.
“Last year the second week that I had here was just probably the toughest four matches, toughest seven days I had to win any Slam in my career.”
16TH QUARTER-FINAL IN PARIS
Djokovic took his head-to-head record against Argentinian Schwartzman to 7-0 with a clinical display, in which he saved seven of the eight break points he faced.
He is into a 16th French Open quarterfinal and has not failed to reach that stage since 2009.
The Serbian star saved two break points in the third game of the match before racing through the opening set.
Meanwhile, American teenager Coco Gauff insists there will be no more Roland Garros “freak-outs” as she attempts to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal.
The 18-year-old made the last-eight in Paris for the second successive year on Sunday with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Belgium’s Elise Mertens.
In the quarterfinals, she will face either US compatriot, and 2018 runner-up, Sloane Stephens or 23rd-seeded Jil Teichmann of Switzerland with the harsh lessons of her 2021 run to the quarterfinals still fresh in her memory.
Twelve months ago, she slipped to a straight-sets defeat to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova despite a handful of openings.
“To make it to the top of the class, I think just keep doing what I’m doing and not freaking out,” said Gauff.
“I think that was the biggest lesson I learned last year in my quarterfinal match, I had a couple set points and I think I freaked out when some of those points didn’t go my way.
“Today I didn’t freak out when a couple of those important points didn’t go my way.”
Victory on Sunday meant Gauff, the junior champion at Roland Garros in 2018, has put together four straight wins for the first time since last year’s run in Paris.
While in the French capital, Gauff has graduated high school, marking the occasion on Instagram with a family photo in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Securing her diploma has helped her feel more relaxed about her tennis career which took off in 2018 when, just 15, she became the youngest woman to qualify for Wimbledon.
Her profile rocketed when she went all the way to the fourth round at the All England Club, knocking out Venus Williams on the way.
“I really am just enjoying the tournament, enjoying life. I’m not thinking about the end result,” she said.
“I’m just enjoying the match ahead of me and whatever happens, it’s out of my control.” — SUPERSPORT.
Online Reporter