Novak Djokovic nearly clinched a Calendar Grand Slam in 2021 but fell short.
Achieving a Calendar Grand Slam is extremely rare in tennis. Only Rod Laver has done it, first as an amateur in 1962 and then as a professional in 1969.
The difficulty of this feat is evident, as it requires winning four major tournaments across three continents, over nine months, on three different surfaces.
Challenges of the Calendar Grand Slam
Given the dominance of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, it’s not surprising that they often start seasons with long unbeaten streaks at majors. Yet, to win a Calendar Grand Slam means securing victory in 28 matches—a daunting task.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| rs Novak Djokovic | 37 | 8,360 | 18 - 6 |
In 2021, Djokovic came close but faced an additional hurdle: the postponed Tokyo Olympics. Martina Navratilova recently discussed on Tennis Channel how surface changes impact players. This year saw players switch from clay at the French Open to grass at Wimbledon and back to clay for the Paris Olympics.
“Well, it’s easier to go back on clay,” she said. “Hard courts are much tougher on the body.”
Navratilova emphasized that returning to clay isn’t as hard because players had just competed on it weeks before. However, switching to hard courts poses significant challenges and emotional strain.
Fans might think it’s unfair how these changes affect their favorite players.
“So I think surface-wise,” she added, “it’s just the emotional and physical toll of playing an extra massive event.”
After Wimbledon ends, top players have only two weeks before the Olympics start—a tight schedule indeed!
In 2021, Djokovic faced this exact scenario. After winning Australian Open , French Open , and Wimbledon , he lost in Olympic semi-finals and later US Open final against Daniil Medvedev with scores: 4–6, 4–6, 4–6.
Navratilova believes that both emotional exhaustion from the Olympics and physical fatigue played roles in Djokovic’s loss.
“And it’s emotionally exhausting… tongues hanging out at US Open,” she noted. “I think they’ll be okay for Olympics but how much energy do you have?”
She concluded by saying these factors likely cost Djokovic his Grand Slam dream three years ago and could pose similar challenges again now.
What do you think? Is it too tough for athletes?
