Which of the 4 most important things to Djokovic will he achieve in 2016

[mattosgrant]

This is a multiple choice poll. I think it is clear the 4 most important things Djokovic would like to achieve this year are:

-The singles Olympic Gold.
-The elusive French Open title.
-The Cincinnati title, as it would complete the Masters set.
-Another U.S Open title, since that would balance his hard court resume considerably, and move him into the hard court GOAT discussion with Federer.

Which of those 4 things will he achieve. It is a multiple choice poll so vote each one you think he will and don't vote those you think he wont. There will be a final option for none of the above.

 

[Emperor of Belgrade]

I don't think the USO is that much significant as you are pointing out. I mean of course it is big because it is a Slam, but he will move into the HC GOAT discussion even if he wins a 7th AO. The prospect of tying the WTF record seems bigger to me.
Olympic singles gold would be my guess. It is not as important as the French Open, but the surface will suit him in Rio and the final is best of 5.

 

[dadadas]

That RG

 

[CYGS]

The Nole Slam. It itself is more than just 1 FO title.

 

[Adv. Edberg]

He'll get the Grand Slam, isn't that enough?

 

[PHS_10]

Olympic singles gold and French Open

 

[Djokovic2015]

IMO Novak's priorities will be:

FO > Olympics > Wimbledon > USO > Cincy

Obv Career Slam is the priority and has been for a couple years. After that, this will probably be his only shot at the OG as the favorite and its importance I'd say is at least WTF level now (if not higher), most of my friends who only follow tennis casually know about Murray and Nadal's OG, but not about Fed's 6 WTF.

The "balancing" of the hard court resume doesn't really mean much when he already has multiple USO titles. Another USO title wouldn't do much for his rating there beyond breaking a tie with Agassi. Its more important for him to win a 4th Wimbledon and definitively move past Becker/McEnroe/Connors there and be on the mt rushmore of open era wimbledon with fed, sampras, and borg.

The Golden Masters is nice and all, but a masters isn't worth more than a slam regardless of the circumstances and unlike the OG, its not like this is his last great shot at Cincy.

 

[edmondsm]

I honestly think he could finish the year 90-1, but if that one loss is at the FO he will look back with regret.

 

[lud]

It's tough choice here. Probably RG yeah, but Olympics are only once in four year.
Vote RG,but it's a split choice actually.

 

[RSH]

Roland Garros and U.S. Open titles. No 6th YEC to tie Federer in the poll?

 

[uscwang]

This is a multiple choice poll. I think it is clear the 4 most important things Djokovic would like to achieve this year are:

-The singles Olympic Gold.
-The elusive French Open title.
-The Cincinnati title, as it would complete the Masters set.
-Another U.S Open title, since that would balance his hard court resume considerably, and move him into the hard court GOAT discussion with Federer.

Which of those 4 things will he achieve. It is a multiple choice poll so vote each one you think he will and don't vote those you think he wont. There will be a final option for none of the above.

Is Novak making tennis history or what?

 

[Mainad]

Only one I'm not too sure about is Cincinnati.

 

[mattosgrant]

Only one I'm not too sure about is Cincinnati.

Is that before or after the Olympics this year?

That is an interesting event since Federer has layed quite the beatings on Djokovic there over the years, and that is one of the events that gives Federer fans fodder for the Djokovic-Federer debates. I could see Federer getting really charged up for that losing to Djokovic in so many slams, but I could also see Djokovic being really charged up should they play to prove he can beat Federer on those really fast courts where he hasn't had a lot of success in the past.

 

[RF20Lennon]

He could get all of them. But I think he'll get Olympics Gold and FO.

 

[mattosgrant]

Roland Garros and U.S. Open titles. No 6th YEC to tie Federer in the poll?

Just added it to the poll. Those who already voted you can change your votes to vote for that one too as I have edited to allow that option.

 

[PeterHo]

RG, by a mile.

Gold is 2nd priority.

After that is WB and US, nothing special here.

Then WTF and cincy.

Personally novak has a great year if he wins RG and gold. But if that means federer wins another slam, its better to let fed win Gold and take a slam off fed.

 

[PeterHo]

Is that before or after the Olympics this year?

That is an interesting event since Federer has layed quite the beatings on Djokovic there over the years, and that is one of the events that gives Federer fans fodder for the Djokovic-Federer debates. I could see Federer getting really charged up for that losing to Djokovic in so many slams, but I could also see Djokovic being really charged up should they play to prove he can beat Federer on those really fast courts where he hasn't had a lot of success in the past.

Cincy is right after olympics so i doubt novak will win it if he gets gold. He wont be mentally ready for another tough week.

If he doesnt win gold chances are fed has won it, so nole will probably take cincy.

Pretty much gold or cincy for nole.

 

[Dave1982]

Olympics fall right between Toronto and Cincinnati.

On the assumption that Djokovic will go deep at both Toronto and the Olympics, Cincinatti could prove a real test to him and potentially other top players as by that point they will have played a fair bit of tennis back to back.

In my opinion winning the French Open is probably top of his list and the one I'd consider him at present most likely to achieve. Anything after Wimbledon could turn into a war of attrition and whilst I'd likely back Djokovic in given his fitness and how far ahead of the pack he is, it's still somewhat of an unknown.

 

[Mainad]

Is that before or after the Olympics this year?

Cincinnati is scheduled for the week after.

 

[torpantennis]

Djokovic achievements for 2016: AO, master choke of RG, decline.

 

[cc0509]

Djokovic achievements for 2016: AO, master choke of RG, decline.

Honestly, I don't think so.

 

[torpantennis]

Honestly, I don't think so.

Me neither tbh, he just realises what it means when you have some real younger than you competition.

 

[mattosgrant]

Cincinnati is scheduled for the week after.

Yikes, I agree this aint his year to win Cincy then (I am sure he will give his all to winning that singles Olympic Gold, and whether he gets it or not will have little to give Cincy).

Didn't he cry after his semifinal losses to Nadal in 2008 and Murray in 2012? It is obvious the Olympics Gold means an incredible amount to him, and I wouldn't be surprised if that is even his #1 priority (or #2 after RG atleast) this year.

 

[Djokovic2011]

The Olympic singles gold, the US Open and the WTF are the only ones he has a chance of winning. I still think he's underachieved in NYC so I'd love him to add a 3rd title there as it would mean he's defended 3/4 slams and would make him only the second player after Federer in the open era to win 3/4 majors at least three times.

 

[Djokovic2011]

Djokovic achievements for 2016: AO, master choke of RG, decline.

Unfortunately for you torpan only the first two things will happen.

 

[mattosgrant]

The Olympic singles gold, the US Open and the WTF are the only ones he has a chance of winning. I still think he's underachieved in NYC so I'd love him to add a 3rd title there as it would mean he's defended 3/4 slams and would make him only the second player after Federer in the open era to win 3/4 majors at least three times.

Wow he doesn't have a chance to win RG? Are you kidding me. I could see predicting him not to win it (I mean to me he seems like the overwhelming favorite right now but I can understand others having doubts given his history there) but no chance?

 

[bkirk]

Hopefully the FO

 

[Djokovic2011]

Wow he doesn't have a chance to win RG? Are you kidding me. I could see predicting him not to win it (I mean to me he seems like the overwhelming favorite right now but I can understand others having doubts given his history there) but no chance?

No chance whatsoever. He'll find a way to choke it away like he always does but I won't be watching RG this year anyway so it really won't bother me too much.

 

[djokerer]

FO. Nole will give a limb for FO right now.

 

[mattosgrant]

No chance whatsoever. He'll find a way to choke it away like he always does but I won't be watching RG this year anyway so it really won't bother me too much.

I think you will be eating your words come June, but we will see. I think people are hard on Djokovic's failure to win RG. Up until 2014 Nadal was still dominant there. So he really has only missed 1 chance post Nadal (I count last year as the start of post Nadal in a sense).

 

[ChrisRF]

I think the importance for every single achievement is as follows.

1) Olympic Gold is the most important this year. Concerning the whole world of sports, the Olympics are the holy grail, and he would be in the same category like Bolt or Phelps etc. as an Olympic champion. And it’s maybe his only chance since he’ll be 33 in Tokyo 2020.

2) Roland Garros and the Career Grand Slam obviously, but it’s not so urgent as he has a chance every year.

3+4) Wimbledon and the US Open as “just another Slam” quite evenly valued.

5) Cincinnati as the “Career Golden Masters” would be complete.

6) The WTF with the chance to tie Federer

7-14) Every other Masters 1000

15+x) Every other tournament win

Note: I valued each achievement as if they are actually his only title. Of course he can (and will) get multiple of those in reality, and if he gets the CYGS it would eclipse a potentially missed Olympic Gold of course.

And what WILL he achieve IMO? I think he really wins the “Golden Slam”, but no Cincinnati and WTF. He also wins “only” 3-4 Masters this time, because he’ll go on a kind of vacation (motivationally) after the US Open.