World No. 1 tennis player, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, has ended the uncertainty over his Olympics participation, confirming on Friday that he would be boarding the flight to Tokyo.
In a message posted on social media, Djokovic, who will now aim for a golden slam — four Grand Slams and Olympic gold in a calendar year — wrote, “I am very proud to pack for Tokyo and join our national team in the fight for the brightest medals on the Olympic arenas.
“I booked my flight for Tokyo and will proudly be joining #TeamSerbia for the Olympics,” Djokovic said in a tweet.
“I am very proud to pack for Tokyo and join our national team in the fight for the brightest medals on the Olympic arenas. 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, Rafa 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.
The 34-year-old has won the year’s first three majors at the Australian Open (d. Medvedev), Roland Garros (d. Tsitsipas) and Wimbledon (d. Berrettini), keeping alive a historic opportunity to become the first man to ever to complete a golden Grand Slam. (WTA Tour legend Steffi Graf won a gold medal and all four majors in 1988.)
By winning his sixth Wimbledon title last Sunday, Djokovic joined Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 Grand Slam singles titles.
Djokovic, who became the first singles player to qualify for the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals this month, claimed a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (d. Blake).
