Jimmy Connors believes that Novak Djokovic can still add more Majors to his personal collection. The former American tennis player, in one of his latest episodes of the Advantage Connors podcast, warned the Serbian champion's rivals, warning them of the dangers of the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
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"I will never leave him off the list. You should never write him off. He has guts and courage. He has the right game and intensity. He is in shape. He is like Rafael Nadal and he will not step out on court unless he is ready to compete at his best. Djokovic is not exactly playing at the standard we are all used to seeing him at, so that gives his opponents a little more confidence. But I also have to say that he has the type of game that I like. He hits the ball early and returns very aggressively," he explained.
According to Serbian media, Nole could decide not to take part in the Nitto ATP Finals even if he qualifies. Choosing to skip the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy, on the other hand, means putting his position in the Race to Turin at risk. Djokovic's goal is to experience a 2025 as a protagonist in the Grand Slam tournaments: preparing for the next season in advance would guarantee him a better physical shape. The 37-year-old Serbian's year has been different from the others, especially for the number of trophies raised to the sky. However, Nole has achieved his greatest dream, winning the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. However, he has not won other titles on the Tour despite the finals played at Wimbledon and the ATP Masters 1000 in Shanghai, lost respectively to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
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But not only Djokovic. In the latest episode of his podcast, Connors spoke out again on the Jannik Sinner's doping issue. The American doubts that tennis will survive at that level if the Italian is disqualified for the well-known doping affair.
As is known, Sinner tested positive for Clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, found on March 10 and 18 during and after the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. ITIA accepted Sinner's explanation that the substance had entered his body while he was receiving a massage from his now former physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat a cut on his finger. WADA, on the other hand, stated that the finding of no fault or negligence was not correct according to the applicable rules and asked the CAS for a 1 to 2-year disqualification.
"The court is his escape. Once he's on the court, Jannik Sinner has too much to think about. His game, his opponent, what to do to win. But what does he do in the other 20 hours of the rest of the day? I'm not close enough to him to understand what's going on in his head. Listen, Connors said, what I know is that tennis at that level, I don't think it can survive if you hit a top player. They've shown in the past that they're not afraid to hit lower-level players. But I don't know if tennis at that level could survive," explained Connors.
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In the meantime - returning to talk about Djokovic - the Serbian champion gave a long interview to La Nacion in which he discussed many topics. Among the most significant passages, the 24-time Slam champion said he does not feel close to the end of his career.
"I feel like I still have some Grand Slams to win. Deep down I still feel like I still have some Grand Slams to win. This is what pushes me to move forward, to feel that I can still do it and play the Davis Cup for Serbia. Tennis is still a great passion for me. Maybe some people think I should retire now with the Olympic gold around my neck. At a very high moment. Others, on the contrary, think I should keep going as long as I have a chance to win in the Slams. I feel much closer to those who have this second idea. Maybe I will change my mind soon, who knows, but now I feel that I want to move forward. I feel sorry for those who want me to retire, but I feel I still have time to be on the court," he explained.
