Despite his absence at the Masters 1000 in Madrid which began this Monday April 22 with qualifying, Novak Djokovic was still present in the Spanish capital this Monday. The Serb swapped his shorts and t-shirt for a three-piece suit during the Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony where he was voted Sportsman of the Year for the fifth time after 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2019. In front of a audience of celebrities and athletes, the current world number one explained why he gave up the Mutua Open in Madrid.
”This year 2024 has been differentexplained the man with 24 Grand Slam titles. I haven’t reached my best yet (Editor’s note: he has not won any tournament). Now I have to prepare my body for Roland Garros, Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open. This represents the most important block of the season for me. I plan to play in Rome before the French Open.”
In his speech, Nole once again insisted that the gold medal in Paris represented one of his great objectives and it is for this reason that he does not want to overload his program. “I think about it and I think it’s possible.”
During this gala organized in the magnificent Cybèle Palace, Novak Djokovic once again spoke words of respect towards Rafael Nadal, present, as was Carlos Alcaraz, in the room.
”Rafa is a good person and a legend of our sport. My most important rival in all this time. It’s incredible everything he has done in his career, as an athlete but also with his wife and family with his foundation. He also inspired many young people around the world. At the start of the season I said I hoped we could see him in several tournaments. And I still hope to play against him at least once this year.”
Like many players present at the Caja Magica this week, the Serbian attended Real’s victory (3-2) against Barcelona in the Clasico on Sunday with a goal from Jude Bellingham in stoppage time. A player who caught the eye of the Djoker: “I’m not a football expert but I notice elements like mentality, dedication or concentration in athletes. And Bellingham, who is only twenty years old, impressed me. I saw him frustrated but he stayed in his bubble to finally score the winning goal. This is a characteristic of a great champion. In our sport we have Alcaraz and Sinner who are doing great things at a young age, it’s great to see athletes moving forward so quickly and leapfrogging.”
The crazy nights of Koen Bergs, Zizou Bergs’ dad.
