Novak Djokovic fires scary warning shots to Wimbledon rivals

Novak Djokovic has warned he is still “hungry” for more success even after setting a new male Grand Slam singles record of 23 titles at the French Open. And the Serbian superstar, who went hiking with his wife after his Paris triumph, insisted his “healthy life-style” and “365-day-a-year dedication” gives him the energy to keep winning.

The world No 2 will begin his bid to win a fifth consecutive title against Argentine world No 67 Pedro Cachin in the first match on Centre Court on Monday. Winning here would equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles and Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.

And asked if he now felt more relaxed after overtaking the record of 22 titles he had shared with Rafa Nadal, Djokovic said: “I don’t feel more relaxed, to be honest. I still feel hungry for success, for more Grand Slams, more achievements in tennis. As long as there’s that drive, I know that I’m able to compete at the highest level. If that goes down, then I guess I’ll have to face probably different circumstances and have a different approach.

“So far there’s still the drive. A few days after Roland Garros, I was already thinking about preparation for grass and what needs to be done. The tennis season is such that it doesn’t really give you much time to really reflect or enjoy. Of course, I did enjoy with my family, but not for so long. Even though, of course, there were a lot of people are coming up to me and congratulating me, reminding me of the historic success, which is nice of course, it’s very flattering, but at the same time my mind was already and is already directed towards Wimbledon, what’s the next slam, what’s the next task.

“That’s the life of the professional tennis player. I think that kind of mentality is necessary to maintain that intensity. If you really want to have a chance and have a go at more Slam titles, you need to maintain that concentration and devotion. So that’s where I am. Of course, part of me is very, very proud and very thrilled to be able to be in this position and have 23 slams. I want to try to use every Grand Slam opportunity I have at this stage where I’m feeling good in my body, feeling motivated and playing very good tennis, to try to get more.”

Carlos Alcaraz has retaken the world No.1 spot since Paris with his first grass court title at the cinch Championships at Queen’s Club and the Spaniard threatens to be the main threat to Djokovic here. “There’s always someone out there,” said the 36-year-old. “There always has been and always will be. Carlos is a very nice guy who is carrying himself very I think maturely for a 20-year-old. Already has plenty of accolades to his name, making history of the game so young. I think he’s great for the game as a player who brings a lot of intensity, energy on the court, and also being very humble and having a nice personality off the courts.

“I think for someone his age, it’s impressive, everything he’s doing. With his team, of course, he’s got Juan Carlos Ferrero, former No. 1 in the world in his corner, who can guide him and mentor him. They’ve been functioning very well as a team.

“For me, I don’t need to have Carlos or anybody else really to find that extra drive and motivation when I enter slams because I know that I have to win seven matches to win a title. So whoever I get to face across the net, it doesn’t make a difference for me. I need to do what I need to do. Most of my attention is focused on my body and my mind, my game, trying to I guess bring it to the optimal state where I’m performing my best every match.

Djokovic revealed he went hiking with his wife Jelena after his latest Roland Garros triumph. “I spent some time with her, quality time,” he said. “Then I came back and spent some further time with kids, then I really started training basically. It’s this kind of a mindset where it becomes a lifestyle of taking care of your body. For me, it’s more than work, it’s actually,

“I actually love the healthy lifestyle. It makes me feel good. I have more energy. I’m better to myself, to others. Then, of course, it also helps I guess maintain certain level of fitness while you’re not playing with the racquet on the court, when you’re not training actual tennis. When you come back to the tennis court, you feel you haven’t lost much.

“There’s always something. It’s kind of a 365-day-a-year dedication. It’s more lifestyle for me. It’s not an obstacle. It’s not really something that I feel like it’s a burden. It’s just I choose to do that, and I like it.”