Former British No. 1 Andrew Castle has explained why Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are special players at Wimbledon.
Djokovic is coming off a win in the French Open earlier this month that saw him move up to a record 23 Grand Slam titles won.
He is now easily the favorite to come out on top at Wimbledon which takes place next month from July 3-16 which would notably see the Serbian superstar be one Grand Slam win away from achieving the calendar slam — becoming the first to do since Rod Laver in 1969 in the process.
And for Castle, it's hard to look past Djokovic at SW19, who he feels has an aura that zaps the belief out of his opponents.
“Djokovic utterly feels he belongs on the Wimbledon stage and has a complete conviction that he will win when he is fit and at his best,” Castle told Tennis365. “There is a good reason why he has that belief because history tells us he is right in that opinion. I expect him to be the player to beat again this year because here is a player who has it all.
“What we see on court is not just a guy who is incredibly gifted because he has worked on this. He is so professional and when you walk out on Centre Court next to him, no one believes they can beat him over five sets. You get upsets in sport and that’s why we all watch, but can anyone stop Djokovic at Wimbledon this summer? I’m not so sure.”
There are talented players more than capable of defeating Djokovic — one just needs to look at Carlos Alcaraz and Nick Kyrgios.
However, the question is if they can do it on the biggest stage and in the biggest atmospheres. Ultimately, that's what separates the likes of Djokovic and Roger Federer from the rest of the pack at Wimbledon.
“Not everyone can deal with the pressure of playing on Centre Court in the biggest matches of them all,” Castle added. “Whatever their physical gifts, some people just struggle to perform in that cathedral-like atmosphere.
“It takes a lot to believe you deserve to be there and even more to believe you can win. That is why players like Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are so special.”
Djokovic will look to win his eighth Wimbledon title next month which will notably match him with Federer who currently holds the record.