Novak Djokovic has spent some of his pre-Olympics down time in a canoe as he looks to remain in shape for the Games in Paris. Though canoeing is not his specialist event, time spent out on the water should allow the veteran to rock up in France with a clear head.
There has been no opportunity for Djokovic to dwell on the disappointment of being thrashed in this month’s Wimbledon final at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz, with the Olympic tennis men’s singles contest getting underway on August 3.
A daunting switch from grass to clay means Djokovic and his rivals have been forced straight back into practice in order to acclimatise in time to scrap for the medals at Roland-Garros.
But it’s not all relentless hitting and gruelling running for Djokovic. Bathed in sun, sitting in a canoe and sporting a pair of green swimming shorts in a photo he posted to Instagram on Monday, the 37-year-old wrote: “To get in the zone for the Olympics, thought I’d try one of the other events.
Only the day before, Djokovic posted a picture of himself back out on the clay with a strapped-up right knee, which somehow managed to carry him to the Wimbledon final despite having surgery only weeks prior to the tournament.
Djokovic will be desperate to bank a big prize at the Games, having previously only managed a bronze in four appearances
That came way back in 2008, when he defeated James Blake in the bronze medal match. He narrowly missed out on another third place at Tokyo 2020, where he was beaten by Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain.
After Alcaraz thrashed him in straight sets on Centre Court the weekend before last, Djokovic said: “I still have intentions to play the Olympic Games [and] hopefully have a chance to fight for a medal for my country. [The Olympics are] on a completely different surface obviously [and I’m] going back to the place where I got injured some weeks ago. Let’s see.”
Djokovic’s bid for his first silver or gold medal will draw crowds to Roland-Garros, but he won’t be the main attraction. Rafael Nadal is competing in his final Olympics and fans are desperate for him to thrive on the clay.
Djokovic’s bid for his first silver or gold medal will draw crowds to Roland-Garros, but he won’t be the main attraction. Rafael Nadal is competing in his final Olympics and fans are desperate for him to thrive on the clay.
