Former ATP star Nikolay Davydenko made a big statement about the younger generation of tennis saying that they are scared of Novak Djokovic as the Serb beats them with his “head”.
Djokovic, 36, continued to surprise the tennis fraternity as he not only won three Grand Slams — Australian Open, Roland Garros, US Open — and other elusive titles, but he also won them by beating the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and others.
Djokovic also holds a winning record head-to-head against all top youngsters in the top 10 rankings, namely Alcaraz (3-2), Medvedev (10-5), and Sinner (4-2).
Davydenko believes that Djokovic’s longevity makes him special as he went from competing against the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to the new generation.
“This person is unique to me. He plays with the skill that he has accumulated over the entire time when he even played with us – with [Roger] Federer, [Rafael] Nadal, with me,” the Russian told Championat.
“Novak always adhered to his physical characteristics, tried to maintain strength and concentration. And he understood that he was beating everyone with his tennis.
“The Big Three generation used to be a little stronger. Even Alcaraz, who, like Nadal in his youth, is a good runner, in tennis terms I can’t say that he exceeds expectations.”
He also discussed the 24-time Grand Slam champion's resilience and quick adaptability in various situations. The Russian expressed his belief that the younger generation is still intimidated by the Serb because he outsmarts them mentally even before the match begins
“If Djokovic gets into shape, even without playing a few tournaments, without injury, he is physically ready. It’s more important that you have enough strength for every match. And if they are, his concentration will be much higher than others. That’s why they are afraid of him.
“Plus, the fear remains: Djokovic also beats the younger generation with his head – they are already psychologically losing to him: “Ah, Djokovic, that’s all!” And Novak dominates thanks to this. What he does is unique. One might say, the only one like this so far.”
It is worth noting that Djokovic’s 24 Grand Slam titles consist of 10x Australian Open, 7x Wimbledon, 4x US Open, and 3x Roland Garros.
