A few years ago, I sat down with Novak Djokovic at a gym in Dubai to discuss his plans for the new season. He was returning from a six-month absence, struggling with an elbow injury and going through a mental lapse after completing a career Grand Slam 18 months earlier.
It was a trough that followed an incredible peak, but even then, Djokovic never lost the core philosophy that has since helped him become the first man in the Open era to win each of the grand slams at least twice.
“I don’t want to put any limit to my career or to anything that I do, really,” he told me ahead of the start of the 2018 season.
His belief in “limitlessness” is why Djokovic is now just one major away from equalling Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s all-time men’s record of 20 slams won. And why it is far from outrageous to consider the Serb can actually pull off the ‘Golden Slam’ this year (sweeping all four majors and clinching Olympics gold in singles).
No man has ever achieved the Golden Slam – Steffi Graf is the only player in history to have done it, in 1988.
Not long after Djokovic picked up his second Roland Garros crown on Sunday, rallying from two-sets-to-love down against Stefanos Tsitsipas to secure a 19th major triumph, the world No 1 was already entertaining the idea of emulating Graf's achievement.
“Everything is possible, and I did put myself in a good position to go for the Golden Slam,” the 34-year-old told reporters in Paris.
His hunger for more success is truly limitless.
Djokovic’s long-time coach Marian Vajda joked that he and Goran Ivanisevic are “going to quit” if their charge sweeps all four slams this year, before adding: “I think it’s possible, much more possible. He loves to play in Wimbledon and US Open.
“Obviously his goal and our goal is to win the Olympics and then win the Grand Slam. That would be the absolutely top of this year.”
The last man to win the Grand Slam was Rod Laver in 1969, when he captured all four majors in the same calendar year for the second time.
Djokovic has a real chance of emulating the Australian legend, and has no problem vocalising it; starting with the next stop on his agenda.
“I don't have an issue to say that I'm going for the title in Wimbledon. Of course, I am,” he said.
The final against Tsitsipas was a prime example of just how confident Djokovic is in his own abilities, and how he finds ways to call upon his inner resolve when he needs it the most.
The Serb lost a tight first set to a clutch Tsitsipas, then looked flat and fatigued in the second set. Suddenly he was trailing by two sets and was a set away from yet another Roland Garros final defeat. He went off court for a toilet break, and gave himself a pep talk.
“There's always two voices inside: there is one telling you that you can't do it, that it's done, it's finished. That voice was pretty strong after that second set,” Djokovic admitted.
“So I felt that that was a time for me to actually vocalise the other voice and try to suppress the first one that was saying I can't make it. I told myself I can do it, encouraged myself. I strongly started to repeat that inside of my mind, tried to live it with my entire being.”
Once he broke early in the third, Djokovic said he knew there would be only one outcome.
“Yeah, after that there was not much of a doubt for me,” he explained.
Indeed a Djokovic victory seemed like a foregone conclusion the moment he mustered a lead in the third set – which says a lot about the high benchmark he has managed to set for himself, and how his self-belief manifests in such an obvious way for his opponent, and the spectators, to pick up on. That quality surely has a devastating effect on the person across the net from him.
Djokovic says his main motivation at this point in his career is to rewrite the history books and break the record of most grand slams won.
“I never thought it was a mission impossible to reach the Grand Slams of these guys,” he said on Sunday, referring to his ‘Big Three’ contemporaries, Federer and Nadal.
He draws strength from being vocal about his lofty goals and has drawn up a plan to reach them.
“Overall he's set up for this year. His priority is really set up like Wimbledon, Olympics, and US Open. I think that says it all. His schedule is according that we practice and prepare for those tournaments,” his coach Vajda said in Paris.
Having already experienced the lull that came after his first Roland Garros victory back in 2016 – he won the first two slams of the season and held all four majors at the same time before losing in the third round at Wimbledon – it is highly unlikely that Djokovic will make the same mistake twice.
The Golden Slam is well within reach.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Draw:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola
Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
Schedule
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Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
ZIMBABWE V UAE, ODI SERIES
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap (rated 72-87) Dh 165,000 1,600m.
Winner: Syncopation, George Buckell, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Big Brown Bear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,200m.
Winner: Stunned, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Handicap (85-105) Dh 210,000 2,000m.
Winner: New Trails, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.
9.25pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,600m.
Winner: Pillar Of Society, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
