Novak Djokovic: 'What about his desire?' - Justine Henin not expecting Serb to dominate at Grand Slams in 2022

Justine Henin does not expect Novak Djokovic to be as dominant at Grand Slams in 2022, with Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev his most “dangerous rivals”.

Djokovic won three of the four majors this season, only losing in the final of the US Open to Medvedev. Had Djokovic won in New York he would have become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win the Calendar Slam.

The world number one has made it clear that winning more majors is his priority, but five-time Grand Slam champion Henin thinks he may find it harder next year.

“It’s going to be very interesting to see how everybody handles it,” Henin told Eurosport.

“Daniil Medvedev is taking off. Zverev - it will be the year for him... I think he's ready to go for a Grand Slam in 2022, obviously we'll still have to see how he does over the five-set question, but you get the feeling that at some point, it's going to work out for him. He has taken on a new dimension.

“Medvedev and Zverev have established themselves as the most dangerous rivals. There will be the return of [Rafael] Nadal. Obviously, Dominic Thiem will be back. We're happy to see these players back. [Stefanos] Tsitsipas is going to have to manage his schedule quite differently. I think he's a step down compared to the others in terms of competition.

“And Novak Djokovic? What about his desire? We always have the feeling that Novak Djokovic's appetite keeps growing. Will it continue like this? It is very difficult to say. He will still want to win. He certainly needs to recharge his batteries now.

“It's been a tough season. He knows who is going to get opportunities, so maybe he won't be as dominant as he used to be. At least, that's what we can assume.

"But Novak Djokovic, he's full of surprises, sometimes hard to figure out, sometimes hard to predict. And so, it's going to be a really exciting 2022 season.”

One of the key moments in Djokovic’s season came at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics when he was bidding to become the first man to ever win the Golden Slam.

Djokovic was beaten in the semi-finals by Zverev, having opted to play both singles and mixed doubles in Tokyo.

“I think that the fate of the Calendar Slam was whether to go and play in the Olympics or not,” said Henin.

“Of course, when you are a top athlete, you want to go and play at the Olympics. You want to win them. I had the chance to win them. It's an extraordinary feeling.

“But we know that Novak Djokovic was on a huge quest, and he didn't just want the Calendar Grand Slam, he wanted more, because he is an extremely ambitious man. He wanted this Golden Slam and finally tried to get both. He lost both, and so we can reasonably think that recharging the batteries at that moment and making a choice would probably have been more opportune in this quest.

“But can you make that kind of decision when you're going to play for your country and you have that pride and you're an extremely ambitious guy like him? No, it was the only decision he could make in the aftermath. Obviously, it's very easy to comment on it, especially after it happened.”

Despite the defeat to Medvedev in the US Open final, Djokovic appeared to win some new fans and was given a warm ovation by the crowd in New York.

Henin says she felt “a lot of emotion” watching Djokovic struggle to hold back tears after the match.

“I don't think enough credit is given to him for everything he's done, everything he's accomplished. I don't always agree with his behaviour because, in the end, by trying and wanting to do so well, by wanting to be liked, finally, he goes a little against his nature. This is what people can reproach him for. It is a lack of genuineness also at certain times. And there, he gives us access to a real moment of authenticity.

“I know what I felt, at least at that moment, I know what it is to build a shell [around yourself]. I think there are a lot of players who go through that who can understand that. And then all of a sudden you get the sight of it breaking down. That really gave me shivers. It really brought tears to my eyes, honestly. I found that it was there where the armour was falling off.

"And that, from perhaps the greatest champion in the history of tennis… to see that humanity at that moment, I thought it was really something beautiful. And all of a sudden, finally, the score didn't matter much and the Calendar Slam didn't matter so much. And that's really what I felt in that moment.”

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