US OPEN. N. Y- By Leo Canaparo. Photo courtesy USTA
Novak Djokovic appeared relaxed, comfortable and in good spirits during his latest press conference, offering an honest and insightful look at this particular stage of his career. The Serbian star spoke openly about his current level of tennis, the challenges of remaining competitive at the highest level and the different perspective that comes with experience.
” I’m very proud of that. Obviously longevity was always one of the goals when I was younger, trying to have long career, trying to have more shots at Grand Slams, and stay healthy long enough so that I can perform for as many years as possible”
“So it’s great to know that I’m back at slams 20 years in a row. I’ve seen it somewhere there’s like three, four of us that played I think back in 2006. I think it was Wawrinka, Monfils could be, and Cilic. So it’s nice to kind of turn back the time- I actually think that I played in my first US Open against Monfils, a five-setter, and here we are 20 years later, we’re both still grinding and representing the older generation (smiling).”
At this point in his remarkable career, Djokovic knows that talent and motivation alone are not enough. Physical preparation, recovery and taking care of his body have become essential elements in his ability to continue competing against the best players in the world. The 24-time Grand Slam champion explained, in a calm and relaxed atmosphere, how important it is to listen to his body and manage his schedule carefully.“I’ve been doing that for years with athletes directly. Athletes, I purposely say “athletes” because there’s athletes from different sports that reach out. I’m still communicating with, I’m not going to name names because out of privacy and respect, but I’ve been doing that for years, absolutely.
“Whether it’s me sharing or me asking also for advices, guidance, and just interactions with other athletes, because I feel like you can always learn. That’s kind of an open mindset I have. You can always learn, particularly from people who are like-minded or in the same industry like you and who go through similar experiences.
So when it comes to sharing that in a more structured way through different formats of maybe media or whatever it is or book, yes, absolutely. We’re working on that. It’s going to come up in the near future.”
With decades of experience on the professional tour, Djokovic remains as ambitious as ever, but his approach has naturally evolved. Every training session, every match and every decision regarding his calendar now plays a key role in preserving his physical condition and allowing him to perform at his best when it matters most.“I mean, I don’t like early losses anywhere, to be honest, but it gave me time to be preparing for US Open in a most adequate way. I had, you know, almost few weeks, actually two weeks, to really train and get my body and mind into the right state, prepared for what’s coming up.
So it remains to be seen. I mean, if you ask me if I’m prepared, I feel like I am, you know, as best as I can be, but it’s different training and then getting out on the Arthur Ashe Stadium and playing best-of-five. You don’t normally play best-of-five on the practice sessions.
So let’s see. Let’s see how it goes. The opening matches are always for me, particularly in the last few years, quite challenging. So hopefully I can overcome, you know, the first hurdle and build from there.”