Novak Djokovic has expressed his jubilance on matching the record of fellow WTA tennis great Monica Seles.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion expressed his respect for one of his “childhood idols” and explained that sharing the achievement with the 9-time major champion “means a lot” for him.
Djokovic outworked American Taylor Fritz 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in 3 hours and 48 minutes in the quarters of the 2024 Australian Open and in process he registered 33rd consecutive win on the Melbourne Hardcourts to equal the record of Seles at the event in Open era. The 36-year-old is a 10-time champion of the Aussie Slam and has won the slam last four times he competed and has not lost in the Melbourne Park since 2018.
Seles also clinched four straight championships in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1996 before losing the streak in the 1999 Australian Open semifinals. Jelena Gencic who trained Djokovic in his childhood years and whom the Serbian calls his “tennis mother” also trained Seles in Yugoslavia. In his press conference after beating World No. 12 Fritz, Djokovic was told he has equaled the incredible Seles record.
“Of course, of course. It means a lot. I didn’t know that I’m sharing this achievement, this record with her. It makes it of course even more special for me. I really love Monica,” the 36-year-old said.
“I have had Monica in my head when I was growing up in Serbia pretty much every single day, because Jelena Gencic, my tennis mother, as I like to call her, she passed away in 2012, worked with Monica when she was young.
“So I was hearing a lot about Monica, Monica this, Monica that, Monica eats this, Monica sleeps this much, Monica practises this way. So Monica was definitely one of my childhood idols and heroes, and I looked up to her very much.
“So when I got a chance to meet with her first time it was really — I was very nervous. You know, so obviously she speaks our language because she was born in Serbia but spent most of her life, as she’s doing now, in United States.
“Yeah, I know that she had an incredible career, and particularly she played well in Australia. Yeah, we all wonder how far she could have went if she didn’t, yeah, had to go through what she went through. Yeah, about Monica, I have only nice words to say about her. I’m really glad that we are sharing this record.”
The World No. 1 was also asked what it was about Melbourne that helped him dig deep and keep improving his winning streak at the Happy Slam.
“Well, I mean, if there is any tournament where I’m going to dig deep, it’s the Grand Slam, right? Particularly here where, you know, I’m aware of the streak that I’m on and the amount of matches that I have won in my career on the Rod Laver Arena. I don’t want to let that go,” Djokovic added.
“The longer the streak goes, the more that kind of confidence, also expectations built, but also the willingness to really walk the extra mile, so to say. Yeah, I just love playing in this court. It’s been ‘the’ court for me in my career.”