By Mike Dickson for The Mail on Sunday
Published: 21:36 BST, 25 May 2019 | Updated: 21:36 BST, 25 May 2019
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To have held all four Grand Slams at once in the era of Nadal and Federer — not to mention Murray — is remarkable enough.
For Novak Djokovic to achieve that twice would be truly ‘extraordinaire’, as they say in these parts.
Just turned 32, this is what the Serb is attempting again over the next fortnight, a year after he stormed off court following a quarter-final defeat and questioned whether he would even attempt to play during the ensuing grass-court season.
The main obstacle to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros is 11-times champion Rafael Nadal
Last Wednesday Djokovic turned 32 and, comparing their achievements by that age, there is little to separate the Big Three. Coming into Roland Garros, Federer is still clear on 20 Slams but Nadal, on 17, will fancy his chances of closing that gap starting this fortnight. Djokovic may be five behind the Swiss but he has time on his side and has won the last three majors in a row. The battle to decide the best player ever is well and truly on.
History now records that the possibility of a second ‘Novak Slam’ owes itself to that epic, two-day semi-final at Wimbledon last summer, when he edged out Rafael Nadal 10-8 in a deciding set.
It was that match which truly made him believe again and here we are considering whether he can repeat what he managed in 2015-16 and string together another golden quartet.
Naturally, the 11-times champion Nadal is the main obstacle and the two champions’ relative struggles in some of the big clay-court events leading in to Paris have been a mirage.
Men’s tennis is currently
