PARIS – Novak Djokovic chose privacy during Paris 2024. He will not sleep in the Olympic Village.
“We expect Novak to arrive within the next few days, although he will not be staying with us in the Village,” an organizing member of the Serbian delegation told CLAY. The Balkan team of 112 athletes inhabits all floors of one of the buildings in the citadel located in the northern suburb of Saint Denis.
At the Tokyo 2020 Games, the champion of 24 Grand Slams did choose to live the experience of living with the other athletes. “I’m enjoying every second, in a place with more than ten thousand athletes, exchanging knowledge, life stories and things about sports. You don’t get that kind of experience anywhere else,” he declared three years ago.
In Japan, he was one of the most popular stars in the Village, and athletes from different countries and disciplines sought him out to have their picture taken with him or get some advice. At the previous Olympic Games, in Rio de Janeiro, he did the same as he will do in Paris.
And while Djokovic culminates his week of training in Budva (Montenegro) with Japanese Taro Daniel, which he combined with some kayaking on the Adriatic, his most important rival already recognized the unprecedented Olympic attire of Roland Garros: Rafael Nadal trained very happy, although with some doubts about the state of his recovery after an intense week in Sweden, where he played his first final in more than two years.
Nadal, who will also play the doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, is staying at the Olympic Village.
The gold medal is the great desire of Djokovic, who in four attempts has not even been able to play a final. Perhaps he does not want to add distractions in what could be his last attempt to reach the top of Olympus.