Djokovic targets Grand Slam after 2012 heartbreaker

The world number one missed out on joining Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) as just the third man to simultaneously possess the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles when he was beaten by Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.

Having finished number one in the world for the second successive season, the 26-year-old Serb goes into the new campaign, which gets underway officially next week, with his confidence high.

“I won the last big tournament of the year in London (the ATP World Tour Finals) and I am hoping that I can continue playing well,” said Djokovic.

“So my ambitions are always high. I want to win every Grand Slam that I play.”

The five-time major winner added: “Roland Garros is always at the top of my priority list and ambitions. It's the only slam I haven't won. I played in the final, which is a step further than ever before.”

Djokovic won the Australian Open in 2012, was runner-up to Nadal at the French while also losing a five-set U.S. Open final to Andy Murray. He was a semifinal loser to Roger Federer at Wimbledon.

In New York and London he had been defending champion.

Federer captured a 17th major when he claimed a record-equaling seventh Wimbledon, coming from a set down to defeat a tearful Murray.

With his 32nd birthday coming in August, the great Swiss has already slashed his schedule for the new year, intending to play just 13 events.

He will go into a 14th Australian Open next month — a tournament he has won four times — not having played a warm-up competition.

World number three Murray became the first British man since 1936 to win a major when he defeated Djokovic to clinch the U.S. Open, with his triumph coming in the slipstream of his Olympic Games gold medal.

“In the last three, four or five years there has been significant pressure in my mind and I feel more relaxed and more relieved after winning the U.S. Open,” said the 25-year-old.

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