Novak Djokovic’s ‘greatest strength’ revealed by Patrick McEnroe in Tennis365 interview
Patrick McEnroe believes Novak Djokovic’s “attention to detail” is the secret to his enduring success, as he gave us his views in an exclusive interview with Tennis365.
McEnroe, who is president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, was courtside at last year’s US Open as Djokovic prepared for his latest attempt to win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title and while he ultimately came up short in New York, his drive to succeed shone through.
The younger brother of seven-time Grand Slam singles champion John McEnroe is a big admirer of Djokovic and he suggests the 37-year-old Serbian’s drive for more glory is the primary reason why he will be remembered as the game’s most successful champion.
“I remember last year at the US Open in the week prior to the tournament, we were doing our shows on ESPN and he was going through his return of serve in incredible detail,” McEnroe told Tennis365.
“He had his team filming him, what position his elbow was in and where his wrist was. It was really detailed stuff.
“I was looking at it and thinking this is the greatest tennis player of all-time, with the greatest return of all-time and he is still dissecting his game and trying to get better. I guess this is one of the reasons why he has been so successful. His attention to detail is like no other.
“Great players I played against like (Pete) Sampras, (Roger) Federer or my brother, they had so much natural ability and you didn’t feel they were dissecting the ins and outs of it as much as someone like Djokovic.”
McEnroe went on to suggest Djokovic’s move to hire former rival Andy Murray as his new coach was another example of his eagerness to reinvent himself and reach for new targets.
Three-time Grand Slam winner Murray is in Indian Wells with Djokovic this week, after the duo started a surprise and productive partnership at the Australian Open in January.
“I think the arrival of Murray in his team is his way to stay engaged in something new and that is admirable given everything he has achieved,” said McEnroe.
“It’s strange to see Murray out there as a coach to Djokovic, but it’s kind of cool as well.
“Novak has brought in some great players down the years like (Andre) Agassi, (Boris) Becker and Goran Ivanisevic and I think it’s a way to keep himself motivated.
“This is a guy who loves to talk tennis and not only dissect his opponent’s gameplan, but his own game as well.”
McEnroe is in Indian Wells for the first ATP Masters event of the year in his role as president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Doubles legends Bob and Mike Bryan will join Grand Slam winning great Maria Sharapova by being inducted into the tennis Hall of Fame later this year, with McEnroe part of a new initiative at Indian Wells to raise awareness of the importance of celebrating the legend of our sport.
Novak Djokovic News
The 11 men to win multiple Indian Wells titles: ft Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal
Carlos Alcaraz sets sights on Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic Indian Wells feat
“The tournament here was nice enough to give us a great spot next to one of the main entrances and we have a Letters To Greatness booth. Fans can send video or voice messages to this year’s inductees to our Hall of Fame,” he added.
“We want to make sure we put the message of the Hall of Fame out there and celebrate the great champions in our sport.
“In Europe, some people may not even be aware that we have a Hall of Fame in tennis, so we are keen to highlight what we are doing. This is part of our mission to get the word out there, especially as tennis has been dominated by the great European players who have dominated the game in recent years.”
The International Tennis Hall of Fame has confirmed details surrounding the programming for its 2025 Induction Celebration that will present Sharapova and Bob and Mike Bryan with the ultimate honour in Tennis – induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
This year, the reimagined Induction Celebration, which will be held in Newport, Rhode Island. from August 21-23, 2025, will feature engaging experiences throughout its Fan Fest, including a live recording of the tennis podcast, Served with Andy Roddick.
Additionally, the weekend’s celebration will close out with a concert following the formal induction ceremony on Saturday, August 23rd.
READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic got the ‘full package’ with Andy Murray coaching move
