I’d be Happy if Djokovic Wins Grand Slam: Tennis Legend Rod Laver

Winning the French Open gives Djokovic a rare chance of holding all four major titles at once.

Novak Djokovic is halfway through to winning the ultimate Grand Slam. (Photo: AP)

If Novak Djokovic wins Wimbledon and the US Open to complete a Grand Slam, he’ll have a big fan in the last man to do it. Winning the French Open earlier this month gave him the rare honour of holding all four major titles at once. Djokovic is halfway there heading into Wimbledon, which starts Monday.

Rod Laver knows what it takes to complete tennis’ ultimate achievement, having won the Grand Slam as an amateur in 1962 and again as a pro in 1969.

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, poses for a photo with former Australian professional tennis star Rod Laver. (Photo: AP)

I think he’s got a good shot at pulling it off and I’d be happy seeing it. You don’t own the territory. It’s a feather in his cap if he can pull off a Grand Slam. He’s got two already.

Rod Laver

Laver, the red-headed “Rocket” from Australia, is the last man to have achieved this, 47 summers ago. He said:

While Djokovic’s four straight major titles aren’t the ultimate slam, owning the four at one time, it’s one hell of an effort.

Known for his powerful left arm, Laver won Wimbledon four times, the Australian Open three times and the US and French championships twice each. He added six Grand Slam titles in men’s doubles and three in mixed doubles.

I was thrilled it happened for me. You don’t start off by thinking, ‘I’m going to win a Grand Slam’. My thoughts were just, ‘Hey, I’m in the event. I entered.’ 

While Steffi Graf was the last woman to win the Grand Slam, in 1988, no man has come close to repeating the feat. Until Djokovic, only Mats Wilander in 1988 and Jim Courier in 1992 made it halfway by winning the Australian Open and French Open in the same year.

Djokovic has got a great game. Just with his consistency and the depth in his groundstrokes. He doesn’t allow any of the guys to take advantage of a shorter ball and try and penetrate. If the ball is too deep you can’t do too much.

He added that:

It’ll be a tough test. The only thing he’s got to worry about, the only thing I’m worried about, was that you’ve got to play seven matches. That’s all you’ve got to play... I think it’s very possible he can pull it off.

(With inputs from AP)