17 July,2021 07:12 AM IST | Paris | AFP
Novak Djokovic celebrates his win over Matteo Berrettini in the Wimbledon final on Sunday. Pic/AFP
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic said he will play at the Tokyo Olympics, giving him the opportunity to achieve the first calendar Golden Slam by a male player.
"I booked my flight for Tokyo and will proudly be joining #TeamSerbia for the Olympics," tweeted Djokovic.
"With much pride I'm packing for Tokyo and joining our national team in the fight for the brightest medals at the Olympic arenas," he added.
"For me playing for Serbia was always a special joy and motivation and I will give my best to make us all happy. Let's go."
Djokovic, 34, has already won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles this year. He needs Olympic gold and then the US Open to become the first man to capture the Golden Grand Slam. The calendar Golden Slam has only ever been achieved once in the women's game when Steffi Graf swept the board of all four majors and Olympic gold at Seoul in 1988. Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Andre Agassi have claimed career Golden Slams.
Djokovic's path to potential gold in Tokyo had already been eased by the decision of rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to skip the tournament. US Open champion Dominic Thiem is also an absentee. Djokovic won a bronze medal in singles at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing where he was defeated by Nadal in the semi-finals before beating James Blake of the United States for third place.
Sumit Nagal on Friday made the cut for the men's singles event of the Tokyo Olympics as large-scale withdrawals pushed him inside the qualification mark. The All India Tennis Association promptly paired him with Rohan Bopanna for the men's doubles competition by withdrawing Divij Sharan's nomination since singles players are getting priority in entering the doubles draw.
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