Novak Djokovic commenced the week, marking an impressive 400 weeks as the world no. 1 in the ATP rankings. Since getting to the top spot for the first time in July 2011, Djokovic has maintained his dominance. In the last 12 years, he has seized the year-end world no. 1 ranking on eight occasions.
A close friend and fellow compatriot on the tour, who has consistently supported Djokovic, shared his foresight on him almost 7 years ago, which has come true. Viktor Troicki, Djokovic’s fellow compatriot, made this prediction in an interview. A video of his insightful forecast has resurfaced on social media. The video captures the confidence and belief in Novak Djokovic’s future success.
It features Viktor’s comments from the period when Novak commenced his 200th week at the helm of men’s tennis. While acknowledging this achievement, Troicki states, “I believe he will be the greatest in history. I think at least 200 more weeks will be No. 1.”
Viktor Troicki predicted Novak Djokovic would have 400 weeks as no. 1:
“I honestly believe he’s going to be the best of all-time… I really admire him and congratulate him on all that he’s done. I think he’s gonna be no. 1 for 200 more for sure.”
He said this 7 years ago. pic.twitter.com/Hkro8NsxVm
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 23, 2023
Reflecting on Djokovic’s family role, Troicki further highlights the unwavering support of Novak’s father, Srdjan Djokovic, who consistently believed in his son’s potential for greatness since Novak’s junior days
Victor mentions, “His father always thought he would be the greatest in the world. He said he would have the most Grand Slam titles. People wondered how you could say such things about a child of 13.” He concluded by saying that Novak Djokovic has always believed in his abilities, and that’s what has transpired.
In 2021, he surpassed Roger Federer’s record of 310 weeks as the world no. 1 among the leading men’s players, and in February this year, he broke the all-time record among men and women when he eclipsed Steffi Graf’s 377-week record as the world no. 1.
Novak Djokovic emphasizes the importance of the Davis Cup for him
Novak Djokovic, now a 24-time Grand Slam champion, expresses his deep-seated goal for the Davis Cup this year, highlighting its significance for him and his team. He remembered his debut at 17 years of age, calling it a “huge honor” to represent his nation. Djokovic showed his priority for the event when he made his appearance at the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals just after winning the US Open.
In preparation for the final knockout stages of the 2023 edition in Malaga, Spain Djokovic didn’t take any break after winning his seventh title of the season at the ATP Finals last weekend. In an interview, he said, “I came the next day. I got a day and a half of rest and I started training right away.”
Novak Djokovic beats Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 and Serbia defeats Great Britain 2-0 to reach a 6th Davis Cup semifinal since 2010.
– Serbian players didn’t face a break point all night
– Serbia vs. Italy on Saturday so a 3rd (!) Djokovic-Sinner in less than 2 weeks (yes please!) pic.twitter.com/KEo3ozZLn8— José Morgado (@josemorgado) November 23, 2023
The Serbian also highlighted the importance of this team event for him. He values being part of the national team, stating, “As I said many months ago, actually the beginning of the season, Davis Cup has been and is one of my greatest goals of this season and always is. Hopefully, I will be able to contribute to win.”
True to his words, Djokovic helped his team reach the semifinals of this prestigious event when he beat Cameron Norrie to secure a 2-0 win over Great Britain in the quarterfinals. Serbia next faces Italy, and Djokovic will be raring to go and help his team secure a win to make it to the finals.