Novak Djokovic will, like the bulk of his competitors, kickstart his preparation this week for the Paris Olympics.
After all, we are but a few days away from the tournament’s commencement, in what is one of the most hotly-anticipated events in the tennis calendar given how infrequently it comes around.
Given it is just once every four years, the mystique and infamy that comes with claiming the gold medal is huge, and explains why Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal remain so revered for winning it more recently.
But, it still eludes the 37-year-old in question, and this surely has to be his last chance to truly mark a viable charge for it.
Novak Djokovic sends message to his fans
So, seeking to garner all the support he can, he has taken to Instagram to issue a rallying cry to his fans.
Novak Djokovic boasts some of the most loyal supporters in the sport’s history, most of whom would go to great lengths to defend him where there is perceived injustice.
After all, Djokovic fans were fuming after what Juan Carlos Ferrero said following his loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, viewing his comments as hugely disrespectful and letting their feelings be known.
So, to see the Serbian superstar address them directly in his caption will have them ready to go to war for him, with his message a simple one.
He wrote: ‘Getting ready for @olympics. Who’s with me?’
Novak Djokovic is hoping to make Olympic history
For all the titles that Djokovic has amassed across his ridiculously lucrative career, with 24 Grand Slam titles the true indicator of his greatness, one gaping vacancy remains.
And everybody knows it.
The lack of an Olympic gold medal haunts the Serbian, and he has made it abundantly clear that this particular prize, which he will likely get his last chance to win this summer, is of paramount importance to him.
Having come so close on a few occasions, the semi-final stage has always proved a step too far for a man so used to winning against all the odds and under the most intense pressure.
But, he will likely never have experienced a tournament with such great personal weight, and the 2024 Paris Olympics promises to deliver that emphatically.
This is the outstanding title that eludes Djokovic, and to win it, as well as one more Grand Slam title, would surely make him the indisputable Greatest Of All Time, a mantle which he so desperately desires.
This message to his fanbase, whilst seemingly an innocuous caption on his Instagram, likely has much deeper connotations.
After all, he will need them now more than ever, to come to his support and help push him over the line to cement his legacy in the sport he has dominated for nearly two decades now.
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