"Novak Djokovic is at the stage where he’s competing not just versus his opponents, but also against history" - Tracy Austin

Hall of Famer and former World No. 1 Tracy Austin recently heaped praise on Novak Djokovic. She also gave her thoughts on the Serb's impressive achievements in 2023.

Djokovic added seven titles to his name in the 2023 season. He won Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open, Masters 1000 trophies at Cincinnati and Paris, an ATP 250 victory at Adelaide International, and the ATP Finals title. The Serb also finished runner-up at Wimbledon and clinched the Year-End No. 1 ranking for a record-extending eighth time.

Tracy Austin, a two-time US Open champion, spoke about Novak Djokovic's 2023 season in a column for Tennis.com's ATP Player of the Year Countdown. The American lauded the Belgrade native for his record 24th Grand Slam win and eight-time Year-End No.1 finish, saying that these milestones may be 'unreachable.'

"Novak is always looking to make those one-percent improvements: everything from diet, to agility, to strokes like his serve and forehand volleys. So, once again, he’s set new records in men's tennis: 24 Grand Slam singles titles, and eight times finishing the year No. 1 in the world. Those are big achievements that might be unreachable," Austin said.

The 60-year-old then mentioned an interesting statistic from the 2023 French Open, and added that Djokovic is now playing not just against opponents but also 'against history.'

"Amid those lofty numbers, here’s another one from 2023 that I find amazing: At Roland Garros, Novak played six tiebreakers—55 total points. Not once on those 55 points did he make an unforced error! As we know, in tennis, some points are bigger than others. And when it’s most important, Novak just locks down. He's at the stage now where he’s competing not just versus his opponents, but also against history," Austin said.

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Novak Djokovic will attempt to win record-extending 25th Grand Slam at Australian Open 2024

The Serb pictured with the 2023 Australian Open trophy

Novak Djokovic would be looking to win a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title at the 2024 Australian Open, which takes place from January 14 to 28. A win there would give him a record-extending 11th title in Melbourne.

Djokovic won the last edition of the hardcourt Slam too, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. The year before that, he was barred from participating in the tournament due to his unvaccinated status.

With the Paris Olympics around the corner, 2024 will be a crucial year for Djokovic. The Serb aims to complete the Golden Calendar Slam — a rare feat where a player wins all four Majors in a year along with the Olympic gold medal.

Djokovic's only Olympic medal to date came over 15 years ago, when he won bronze in Beijing.