Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Novak Djokovic keeps ‘golden slam’ dream alive after confirming trip to Games
- This year’s Wimbledon, Australian Open and French Open winner said he is ‘very proud’ to represent Serbia in Tokyo
- But Australian player Alex de Minaur forced to withdraw from Games after testing positive for Covid-19 before departure
No man has ever won the four slams and an Olympic gold in the same year, with Germany’s Steffi Graf the only player to accomplish it in 1988.
But the 34-year-old said on Thursday he had booked his flight for Tokyo.
“I am very proud to pack for Tokyo and join our national team in the fight for the brightest medals on the Olympic arenas,” Djokovic, who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games, tweeted.
“For me, the game for Serbia has always been a special joy and motivation and I will do my best to make us all happy! Let’s go.”
Some of the sport’s biggest names, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Stan Wawrinka and Simona Halep have already announced their decision to skip the Games, which has been delayed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Friday, the Australian Olympic Committee announced that Alex de Minaur had tested positive for Covid-19 before his scheduled departure for Tokyo.
The world No 15 returned the positive test in Spain before he was due to fly to Japan, said David Hughes, the AOC’s chief medical officer.
“I don’t want to specifically talk about his medical information,” Hughes said.
Hughes said the 22-year-old had tested negative on July 5 after leaving the Wimbledon bubble three days earlier. De Minaur then flew to Spain, where he developed symptoms and tested positive.
The first round of the Olympic tennis tournament starts on July 24.
