Novak Djokovic has dismissed suggestions he is the favourite to reach a record-breaking feat in claiming this year's Wimbledon crown, despite advancing to the quarter-finals after defeating Alex de Minaur on Monday.
The seven-time champion instead pointed to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and world No1 Jannik Sinner as the tournament's leading contenders, despite the latter scraping past Grigor Dimitrov with the Bulgarian forced to retire while two sets ahead.
The 38-year-old Serbian's modest assessment comes despite his remarkable grass-court record at SW19, where he recently became only the fourth player to record 100 wins at the tournament.
His stance contrasts sharply with the view of his former coach Goran Ivanisevic, who recently labelled Djokovic "the best grass-court player", a claim supported by his seven Championships at the All England Club.
Speaking about his chances, Djokovic said: "I love Goran, and I'm happy he loves me back, but I don't think I'm a favourite against these guys at the moment. I think they are, both of them."
The former world No1 acknowledged his strong grass-court pedigree whilst maintaining his underdog stance.
He admitted: "But I do probably have my best chance here against them here, yeah.
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"I do think I have a chance. There's no doubt about it. I think my results on grass, even in the previous years, are a testament to my confidence on this surface."
Despite his cautious outlook, he expressed determination: "I feel confident. I feel motivated to go all the way. Let's see what happens."
Djokovic is attempting to end a significant title drought, having not captured a Grand Slam since his US Open triumph in 2023.
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Last year marked only the second occasion in 14 years that he failed to secure a major title.
The Serbian's next opponent is Flavio Cobolli in the quarter-finals.
Should he progress, a potential semi-final clash with Sinner appears likely, with the Italian recently dominating Djokovic in their Roland Garros semi-final encounter.
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That defeat will be fresh in Djokovic's mind as he navigates his path through the draw, having suffered consecutive Wimbledon final losses to Alcaraz in the past two years.
The tournament favourites have shown varying degrees of vulnerability in their campaigns thus far.
Sinner received a fortunate walkover against Dimitrov on Monday and avoided what could have been a shock exit.
Alcaraz has dropped four sets across his four matches, suggesting the defending champion hasn't yet found his peak form.
The pair recently contested an enthralling French Open final, with Alcaraz prevailing after five sets in a match that showcased exceptional tennis from both players and will go down as one of the great Grand Slam finals.
Their Roland Garros encounter reinforced their status as the sport's current standard-bearers, lending credence to Djokovic's assessment of them as Wimbledon favourites.
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