Novak Djokovic opens up on dealing with fame and the threat to his mental health

Novak Djokovic has been at the top of the tennis world for almost two decades and he has admitted the strain of living up to his status as a role model can be draining.

Second seed Novak Djokovic is safely through to the third round of the US Open after demolishing Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles in a 6-4 6-1 6-1 victory.

As always, he was open and honest in his post-match press conference and his first comments suggested he was feeling some sympathy for the media working in chilled conditions as he asked: “Does it have to be so cold here? Wow. It’s like cryo chamber!”

He went on to deliver another fascinating press briefing, with a question about the challenge of being a sporting superstar drawing an intriguing response.

Djokovic has always been open and honest in his press conferences and he gave a detailed answer to a question that only a few sporting greats could answer.

“I think is a key of understanding who you are and keeping the authenticity in today’s world, that’s probably even more needed and respected than it ever was,” he stated.

“There’s so much going on, there’s tons of information that are coming to you through social media, through internet, television, you know, any digital communication tool that you can think of. You have thousands of information that you have to process every single day. So that’s a lot.

“I mean, when I was starting my professional tennis career, it was completely different.

“So I think it’s something that you can’t really stop or, you know, the more you resist it, I guess, the worse it is. You have to kind of find the individual formula that really works for you.

“I feel it’s important to embrace the change, the evolution of humankind, of society, you know, of where things are going, and try to use that as a tool for your professional career, your branding, your marketing, your PR, your communication to your fans, the charity.

“Whatever you’re looking for in whatever ways you want to communicate to the world, I think nowadays it’s better than ever. Because, you know, all it takes is a photo and one or two phrases and, you know, millions of people around the world can see it instantly, which is amazing, if you think about that.”

Djokovic went on to admit his own well-being can be affected unless he keeps his mind clear on and off the court.

“It’s important to find a balance, especially for an athlete,” he added.

“Athletes are, especially the athletes in global sports, football, basketball, soccer, tennis, you know, golf, these sports are, you know, followed around the world, and whatever you say, however you behave is monitored and analyzed and judged, positive or negative way, by millions of people.

“So, you know, if an athlete is not really paying too much attention on the mental side of things, you know, it can really hurt you. The comments and everything, right? So mental health is important. I think it’s equally as important as physical health.

“I’m really glad that there have been more talks about that, more conversations in the last few years. Really glad to hear that.

“I think we have to collectively pay more attention to that so that we also help each other and athletes and us as a whole ecosystem to thrive and use this evolution as an advantage rather than something that can take us down.”

It was another fascinating insight into one of the most compelling sporting stars of the modern age, with his willingness to allow the world to step into his mind giving an insight that highlighted the pressure he feels.

READ MORE: Novak Djokovic’s path to the US Open final cleared after latest upsets in New York