After the debacle in the finals of US Open, world no.1 Novak Djokovic was expected to close out the year and prepare himself for the 2022 Australian Open. For a while, things looked as if the Serb would follow the same.

Proving the general perception wrong is what Djokovic has been doing over the past decade or so. Similarly, the Serb bounced back in style to win the Paris Masters and went on to become the year-end no.1 player for a record seventh time.

Justine Henin expects Medvedev and Zverev to give a tough fight to Novak Djokovic in 2022

As Djokovic’s momentum is expected to flourish next year as well, former world no.1 and seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin feels otherwise. Talking to Eurosport, the Belgian recognized the rise of youngsters such as Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev.

“It’s going to be very interesting to see how everybody handles it. Daniil Medvedev is taking off. Zverev – it will be the year for him. I think he’s ready to go for a Grand Slam in 2022, obviously we’ll still have to see how he does over the five-set question”. 

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On Djokovic’s hunger to keep winning titles, Henin said, “And Novak Djokovic? What about his desire? We always have the feeling that Novak Djokovic’s appetite keeps growing. Will it continue like this? It is very difficult to say. He will still want to win. He certainly needs to recharge his batteries now”. 

Despite the youngsters finding their foot at slams, it’s still incredibly difficult to beat Novak Djokovic in a five-setter at a major. Medvedev proved that he can do it, but to cut down the momentum of the Serb is to beat him consistently and it remains to be seen whether Medvedev will be able to pull it off or not.

Henin feels that Djokovic’s dominance might go down next year

With the growing dominance from next-gen stars, Henin believes that Djokovic might not be as dominant as he was this year.

“It’s been a tough season. He knows who is going to get opportunities, so maybe he won’t be as dominant as he used to be. At least, that’s what we can assume”, the Belgian explained.

If there is one thought that’s running in Djokovic’s mind ahead of the 2022 ATP season, it’s the desire to overcome Nadal and Federer in terms of Grand Slam titles. Looking at the Serb’s form, it appears evident that he is going to achieve the same next year.

At the same time, the world no.1 faces a stiff competition from Daniil Medvedev. With the return of Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem, the men’s singles season next year promises to be an enthralling ride.

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