Novak Djokovic’s bid for Wimbledon title No. 8 and Grand Slam trophy No. 24 starts on Monday

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Novak Djokovic will begin his pursuit of a fifth consecutive Wimbledon championship and eighth overall on Monday. He also will be attempting to claim an Open era-record 24th Grand Slam trophy over the coming two weeks. And there is also this in the offing: Djokovic is halfway to the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men’s tennis since 1969. Djokovic’s opponents will credit his success to various talents. Those include his serve returns, his two-handed backhand and his mental strength. Djokovic himself also will point to the self-belief he has. He credits his parents and two early coaches with helping build that.