‘I have a big desire to play’ – Novak Djokovic hopeful of featuring in Indian Wells and Miami ahead of Dubai return
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Updated 22/02/2023 at 17:03 GMT
Novak Djokovic is eager to appear at both Indian Wells and Miami next month. The Serb moved back to the top of the ATP rankings with his victory at the Australian Open last month. The 35-year-old is currently tied with Rafael Nadal on 22 Grand Slam titles, and is set to break Steffi Graf's record by starting his 378th week as world no.1 on Monday.
Djokovic gives Indian Wells update, says he's 'flattered' to equal Graf record
Novak Djokovic is hopeful of being able to compete at the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.
The world No. 1 applied for a “special permit” to enter the USA, as unvaccinated travellers are still prohibited from entering the States until the middle of May.
Indian Wells begins on March 6 ahead of the ATP event in Miami on March 19, and Djokovic is eager to continue his winning momentum after claiming his tenth Australian Open title last month.
Speaking at a press conference in Belgrade, he said: "Everything is in process and I'm really thankful to Indian Wells and Miami for their support, publicly, and they would like me to be able to play.
"I'm really thankful for that because I have a big desire to play because I haven't played there for several years so I'm looking forward to hopefully a positive decision coming sometime soon.
"It's not in my hands so that's all I can say."
The Serb is now focusing on the ATP tour event in Dubai, which will be his first appearance on court since his victory at the Rod Laver Arena after overcoming a tear in his hamstring.
That latest Grand Slam victory moved Djokovic back to the top of the ATP rankings, ahead of Carlos Alcaraz.
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'Nadal will always be my biggest rival, not Alcaraz' - Djokovic
Djokovic has already broken Roger Federer’s record of 310 weeks as men’s world no.1, and looks set to surpass Steffi Graf when he enters 378 weeks at the top on Monday.
"Steffi Graf is one of the biggest legends of our sport in both men's and women's tennis. She is somebody that I truly admire and respect,” he added.
"Of course, it is very flattering that I am able to equal her record and I have a possibility to break the record. Being number one in the world and winning Wimbledon was a dream. When I achieved that dream in 2011 I had to dream new dreams and set new goals.
"I'm very proud of it and I never take the success as my own individual success. I always try to mention my family, my team, it is so key for me to everything that I do in life."
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'I could easily see him winning at least three more' - McEnroe on Djokovic's Grand Slam tally
At 35-years-old, Djokovic appears to be showing no signs of slowing down after equalling Rafael Nadal’s record of 22 Grand Slams, and John McEnroe believes the Serb can win “at least three more” majors.
"I don’t know how many more he’s going to win, but it’s hard to see him not win a minimum of two or three more," McEnroe said on Eurosport's Australian Open coverage.
"Roger [Federer] won three from 35 onwards, Rafa won three.
"Novak is probably the best of those three athletically. He hasn’t had a lot of injuries, so I could easily see him winning at least three more.
"I believe him [when the Serb says it’s his biggest victory, with all that’s happened in the last year]. I’ve never seen Novak so emotional.
"He’s unbelievably resilient and is a tremendous asset to our game. He’s a phenomenal athlete and player, as well as a phenomenal person.
"Novak is a master at self-motivation, finding more ways to get hungry, doing what it takes to improve. It takes a lot of dedication.
"That’s why the three guys [Djokovic, Nadal and Federer] are where they are. They’re hungrier than the other players, more disciplined, and do whatever it takes."
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