Novak Djokovic still driven to succeed on the ATP Tour

ATP Tour

James Richardson
April 23, 2022

Novak Djokovic has no thoughts of retirement insisting that he doesn’t feel sense any ticking clock when it comes to his career.

Djokovic admitted that he needs to box clever to remain competitive with players 10-15 years younger than him.

Speaking after muscling Miomir Kecmanovic out in the Serbian Open quarterfinals, Djokovic revealed the lengths he will go to in order to keep up with the next generation.

Djokovic, who turned pro back in 2003, said: “Every stage of your career — especially after playing for 20 years on the Tour — has its differences in terms of how you approach things mentally.

“My life has changed so much over the last 10 years, and my body as well. So you have to adapt to that, understand these changes, understand what I’m going through and figure out the biology of things. I constantly strategise, organise and plan with my team that helps me to peak at the right time and be able to compete with the young guys.

“For me, age is just a number. I sincerely feel younger than 35.”

Djokovic maintained unbelievable levels of consistency in the face of intense competition, which is a big tick in his GOAT column. However, He admits that it is hard to live up to people’s expectations of him.

“All these expectations from people, they got used to seeing you at that level for 10, 15 years. They always expect you to be winning 99 per cent of the matches,” he explained. “But obviously that’s not possible. You have to accept the fact that you going to lose, that you’re not going to feel good, that it might take more time to get into the groove.”

Djokovic opines that devotion to your game and the sport is the most important trait a professional can have.

“There’s so many different factors that effect the outcome that you see and the performance on the court. But the discipline needs to always be present,” he continued. “Before discipline, I would say it’s commitment and devotion. If you’re not committed and devoted, then you’re not going to have as much discipline that is necessary.

“But even before that is, obviously, what drives you: Why are you playing? And for me, I try to always draw the strength from the love and passion for the game.”

Novak Djokovic