McIlroy Seeks Inspiration from Djokovic for the Ryder Cup
Rory McIlroy, after observing Novak Djokovic’s performance dealing with the public at the US Open, is preparing to follow the tennis player’s strategy at the upcoming Ryder Cup, which will be held in the United States this month. The European team, led by McIlroy, will face a hostile and passionate atmosphere at Bethpage Black during the matches from September 26 to 28. The Americans will seek to regain the cup, after the defeat suffered in Rome two years ago. Djokovic demonstrated his ability to handle similar situations in his US Open quarterfinal match against Taylor Fritz, a local favorite. The Serbian tennis player handled the pressure with mastery, even sending kisses to the audience that booed him.“He’s the best at handling that,” McIlroy commented on Wednesday at the Irish Open. “He’s had to deal with it his whole life, whether it’s playing against an American in New York or against Roger Federer or Rafa Nadal.” “He came and talked to us a bit about that last time in Rome. So maybe take a leaf out of his book and channel that energy the right way. But then again, all we can do is control our reaction and our emotions to it. I think the less we get involved, the better it will be for us.” The experience of Rome could be crucial for the European team, which has suffered only one change in its lineup. Rasmus Hojgaard, who qualified automatically, will be the only rookie on the 12-player team. McIlroy used Robert MacIntyre, a rookie in Rome and now a regular competitor on the PGA Tour, as an example to support his belief that “practically all the players on the team are more competent than they were two years ago.” Furthermore, he believes that Europe has a “wonderful opportunity” to win an away Ryder Cup for the first time since 2012. “They have a very strong team,” McIlroy said of the Americans. “They’ll have a pretty raucous crowd on their side and on a golf course that many of them know quite well from previous tournaments there.” “So make no mistake, we know what we’re up against and we know we have a difficult task ahead, but I love the team that Luke has put together.”McIlroy was impressed with Djokovic’s attitude, who previously gave a motivational talk to the European golfers in the team room before their victory at the 2023 Ryder Cup, addressing how to handle high-pressure moments.
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