Dominic Thiem claims Novak Djokovic has "potentially the toughest path" to the US Open title, says "if someone can do it, it's Novak"

Dominic Thiem believes Novak Djokovic has a tougher path to the US Open title compared to Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev. However, Thiem also reckons the 20-time Major champion is the most likely candidate to negotiate such a tricky draw and come out on top.

Djokovic is three wins away from completing a historic Calendar Grand Slam. Doing so will also give the Serb his 21st Major, thus breaking the record he currently shares with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

But Djokovic's path to tennis immortality is riddled with thorns. The 34-year-old will first have to beat Matteo Berrettini in the quarterfinals, before potentially taking on Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.

Should Djokovic escape unscathed, Daniil Medvedev could lie in wait for the summit clash.

Moreover, Zverev and Medvedev have far easier paths ahead of them right now. Zverev takes on the unseeded Lloyd Harris in the last eight, while the Russian defeated the unheralded Botic Van de Zandschulp in his quarterfinal match.

As such, Dominic Thiem believes Novak Djokovic has been handed the toughest draw at the business end of the tournament amongst the three. But Thiem also opined the Serb would likely go all out in trying to achieve the Calendar Slam, given it is an extremely rare feat in tennis.

"That's potentially the toughest path (Berrettini, Zverev & Medvedev) of the three biggest title contenders, but if someone can do it, it's Novak," Dominic Thiem said while speaking on Tennis Channel. "We all know that he has the chance of the century, probably. It's not going to come that fast again, the chance for a calendar Grand Slam. So he'll do everything and he'll give everything to make it, and to win three more matches."

"If somebody can do it, it's Novak."@ThiemDomi weighs in on @DjokerNole's final few matches en route to a calendar Grand Slam.@USOpen | #USOpen | #TCLive pic.twitter.com/OzhHRu9jYA

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) September 7, 2021

Dominic Thiem acknowledged that beating three top 10 players back-to-back is always a difficult task, but sounded bullish about Novak Djokovic's chances of accomplishing the feat.

"He will have to beat probably 3 top 10 players in a row, which is always difficult, but as I said, if anyone can do it, it's him," Thiem added.

If Novak Djokovic wins the US Open, he will become the first man in more than 50 years to complete the Calendar Grand Slam

Can Novak Djokovic emulate Rod Laver?

Rod Laver was the last man to achieve the Calendar Slam, when he won the US Open back in 1969. It has been a little more than 50 years since Laver pulled off the feat, which was incidentally the second time he managed to do that.

The first time the Aussie legend completed the Calendar Slam was in 1962, but that was during his years as an amateur (i.e. before the Open Era).

Don Budge is the only other male player to have won the Calendar Slam; he pulled off the feat way back in 1938. And on the women's side, three players have managed to win the Calendar Slam - Maureen Connolly (1953), Margaret Court (1970) and Steffi Graf (1988).

As such, should Novak Djokovic win the US Open, he will become the first tennis player, man or woman, to achieve the Calendar Slam in over three decades.