What do two tennis players with 47 Grand Slam singles titles between them talk about when they run into each other as they prepare to play the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament?
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, the two GOATs who are hoping to spend the next two weeks grazing on the Wimbledon grass, met at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in southwest London this week. In a news conference during the tournament’s media day, Djokovic said his message was simple.
“It’s epic. That’s what I told her,” Djokovic, 39, said of Williams’ return to the sport she dominated at 44, nearly four years removed from her last match.
“I always admired her career, her journey, her story. Of course, Venus’ as well.”
A lot of players who have chats with Serena do not like to talk about their discussions, choosing to guard those words as something special and secret. Djokovic, though, is the rare player who speaks to Williams as a true peer.
“For her to come back after years of being absent from the tour, two children later, and to give so much effort … Not just for her own satisfaction or coming back on the tour, but also to give all of us the pleasure of seeing her back on the court — in singles as well as doubles — is remarkable.
“I told her that whatever happens, what she’s doing is truly inspirational for me personally, I’m sure for millions around the world.”
Djokovic said he had seen Williams in the player gym even more than he did when she was in her prime, winning Grand Slam titles again and again. He is nearly six years younger than her, and what proved to be the first chapter of her professional career was in full flight by the time his began in earnest, in 2005.
Djokovic was not always the most effusive supporter of women’s tennis. He was a little late to come around to supporting the cause of equal prize money for women, a push that Venus led. But he has rarely been anything but effusive about what the Williams sisters have accomplished, especially Serena.
“Their singles and doubles careers, Olympic Games, they won gold, silver, doubles. They’ve won everything you can possibly win in this sport,” he said. “They transcend tennis as well.
“They went into different areas of life with business, fashion. Just the impact on the youth in America and worldwide has been tremendous.”
Most of all, Djokovic said he remains baffled about how they managed the psychological challenge of playing each other on the biggest stages. Tennis stars who are friends report that playing each other in a big match is nerve-wracking enough. For siblings, it’s a whole other order of magnitude.
“I have two younger brothers that played tennis,” he said. “Professional but not at the highest level. There was one or two times that I could have played one of my brothers in singles. Luckily for both of us, that didn’t happen. I just don’t know how you’re able to play your sibling on the court. I don’t know if I would be able to do that.”
Djokovic, who plays his first-round match Monday against China’s Wu Yibing on Centre Court, should get a front-row seat to Williams’ first singles match back. She will play Tuesday, against Australia’s Maya Joint.
“Of course, all eyes are on her, her comeback. I just hope that she will enjoy because she really deserves it,” Djokovic said.
“She created something historical, legendary in her career. She deserves every applause she’s going to get.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Tennis, Women’s Tennis
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