Revealed: Novak Djokovic’s new look as he prepares to return to action in Paris

Kevin Palmer
Novak Djokovic on the secrets of his mental approach
Novak Djokovic revealed his mentality secrets at an ASICS event (Albin Durand)

Novak Djokovic will look to cement his status as the world No 1 at the Paris Masters and he will have a new look for the end-of-season finale.

The Serbian maestro has clearly been the stand-out player of 2023 after winning the Australian Open, French Open and US Open titles.

Only a defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final denied the Serbian a chance to complete a calendar Grand Slam for the first time in his career.

Now Djokovic is closing in on some impressive new milestones in the coming weeks, with an eighth year-end world No 1 title in touching distance after some surprising defeats for Alcaraz over the last couple of months.

Despite his dominance in Grand Slam events, Alcaraz still had a chance to clinch the prestigious year-end world No 1 ranking for a second successive year, as his stunning first half of 2023 gave him a platform to push for the top spot.

Yet a defeat against Daniil Medvedev in the US Open semi-finals and losses against Jannik Sinner and Grigor Dimitrov in China this month dented the young Spaniard’s hopes of knocking Djokovic off the top of the rankings.

He has also pulled out of the ATP 500 event in Basel later this month, so Djokovic will have a chance to clinch the year-end No 1 crown quicker than expected.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has taken some time off since the US Open, but he has been practising in Belgrade in recent days and now the outfit he will wear in Paris and at the ATP Finals in Turin has been revealed.

ASICS and Lacoste work in tandem when they come up with Djokovic’s on-court look and his final matches of this year will see him wearing a red outfit with matching shoes. There will also be a streak of purple in both shoes and his kit.

This is something of a new look for Djokovic, who has tended to wear blue and green clothes since signing up with Lacoste and ASICS and he has spoken about the importance of having the right equipment on his feet as he slides more than most players on court.

“When I switched from my last sponsor to Asics shoes, I felt really like I was going to a sportscar from a commercial car,” he said.

“I felt lighter on my feet, I felt there was more flexibility. I could change direction quicker, and I could slide. Why change when you feel good? Why change? Let’s try to make an even better shoe.

“I’ve really enjoyed the process. Sometimes not, most of the time, yes. Good things take time. I am really proud of the whole process.

READ MORE: How Novak Djokovic served up a blueprint to beat Carlos Alcaraz using a dangerous tactic

“Don’t know if I can choose between stability and flexibility. You need to combine the lightness and comfort with functionality. For us, we change directions a lot and the first step is so crucial.

“We need a good shoe to absorb the shock of stopping and help us launch and change direction to the first step back to the middle of the court.

“Also, I have spoken to other players who are using my shoe and they say it is the best shoe they have played in.

“The racket and the shoe are the most important items you can have as a tennis player and it has been difficult for the guys at ASICS because I can be demanding. I go back to them and say I don’t like this or that and ask them to make more and more changes.

“We took time. Ideally, we wanted to go out on the market before we finally got there. It took three years, but it was extremely important to me to have as close to the perfect tennis shoe as possible.

“So thanks to the ASICS development team for being patient with me and in the end, we have a flexible and balanced shoe that allows me to be able to stop and change direction and also to slide, which is an important part of my game.

“There are so many details that go into it. This is not just a shoe. There is a lot of things that come up when you are developing something like this.”

The fine details give a champion like Djokovic an edge and it is clear that Djokovic is involved in every aspect of a story that will see him end his career with every significant tennis record in his collection.

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