Christopher Fillocque, edited by Philippe Folgado // Photo credit: CLIVE BRUNSKILL / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
The Tennis Masters, this tournament which pits the eight best players of the year against each other, began this afternoon in Turin with the home victory of the Italian Jannik Sinner against the Greek Stefanos Tsitispas in two sets. This evening, it is the title holder, Novak Djokovic who will enter the fray against the Danish Holger Rune.
This last tennis tournament of the season is above all a generational shock. At 36, Novak Djokovic is nine years older than the oldest of the other seven participants, Russian Daniil Medvedev. But the world number 1 shows no sign of weakness. This year, thanks to his coronations in Melbourne, Roland-Garros and New York, he equaled the record for major trophies, with 24 titles.
“He wants to be the undisputed GOAT”
Before starting this tournament, the Serb won his last 18 matches. He is therefore the big favorite. His entry into the running is this Sunday at 9 p.m. against the Danish Holger Rune, recently beaten by Djokovic in the quarter-finals of the Rolex Paris Masters, a competition that the Serbian won last Sunday.
Cédric Pioline, director of the Parisian tournament, is impressed by the state of mind of the world number 1: “he won the Rolex for the seventh time. I asked him if it was his favorite number, he told me that his favorite number is infinity. That sums up the state of mind he’s in. No limits, he wants to be the GOAT (Greatest of all time, the best of all time , editor’s note) indisputable, really on all records, it’s truly amazing.”
This says a lot about Novak Djokovic’s determination. Opposite him, the Dane, just 20 years old, displays an excellent level, currently a quarter-finalist in the last Roland-Garros tournament. He still has to take another step to beat the best players on the circuit, and why not this Sunday.