Having now clinched the 400 weeks and world number 1, I have to imagine that some part of Novak’s motivation tank is getting empty.
- Clinched 400 and Ye1
- He’s 2 clear of Rafa in the slam race and it’s unlikely Rafa will get there given his health
- His family (parents) have said they would like him to retire and start a life outside tennis. I suspect they are getting to an age where they just want to be with their kids and grandkids
- Outside of the Olympics, there aren’t any true milestones for him to chase.
Does 25 or 26 or 27 slams really make that much of a difference to him? I know that he himself has often talked about playing for many years but I have to wonder if he will wake up one day and just find that he’s ready to be done.
Exactly, he didn’t need to win that match. He was already in the semis. But he had something to prove to himself, to the rest of the players and to the tournaments, something along the lines of “I’ll be back and I’ll win.”