Published12. December 2023, 4:36 p.m.
Novak Djokovic: ‘I was considered the bad guy of the world’
Interviewed by the American channel “CBS”, the Serb spoke at length about his rivalry with Nadal and Federer, his mental strength, and his complicated relationship with the public.
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by Lucien Willem
Novak Djokovic did not avoid any subject at the microphone of the American channel CBS.
Imago
Winner of the Australian Open, Roland-Garros and the US Open, Novak Djokovic brought his total Grand Slam victories to 24 this year. The Serbian also won his 7th Masters tournament in Turin at the end of the season, surpassing Roger Federer’s record.
In a long interview with the American channel’s “60 Minutes” show CBSthe world No. 1 notably returned to his rivalry with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Intimidated by Rafael Nadal in his debut
The Serb notably confided to what extent Nadal had the psychological advantage, even before the start of their first clashes. “In the Roland-Garros locker room, which is not very big, we tried to give each other space. Nadal was sprinting next to me, jumping before entering the court. I could even hear the music in his headphones. It pissed me off.”
Asked about his legendary Wimbledon 2019 final won against Federer, “Nole” underlined the importance of key moments. “The sets I won in this match were all in tie-breaks, 7-6, 7-6, 13-12. And overall, Roger was much better than me. But I won the match. This shows that you can always win if you choose the moments of the match when you perform best.
“Not innate” mental strength
The Belgrade native also spoke about his mental strength, which sometimes seems unshakeable. “It’s not innate. It’s something that comes with the job. The difference between the greatest champions and those who struggle to reach the highest level is the ability to not stay in negative emotions for too long. For me, it’s relatively short. As soon as I experience it, I take note of it. I might explode, I might scream on the pitch. But then I’m able to bounce back and reset.”
Djokovic also revealed the way he constantly observes his opponents during matches. “Even though there is no physical contact in tennis, there is still a lot of eye contact. When we change sides, when we sit on the bench, I watch him face to face or on the big screen. How does he drink? Is he sweating more than usual? How does he breathe?
A hero in Serbia
Pursued by controversies in recent years, the “Djoker” was notably excluded from Australian territory in January 2022 after refusing to be vaccinated against Covid. “I was considered the bad guy of the world. I’ve had entire tennis courts against me before, but I’ve never had that experience before.”
The Serb, on the other hand, has achieved the status of national hero in his country, even to the point that he assures the American journalist asking him the question that he has no political aspirations. “I don’t feel like it’s a world I could thrive in. But I think my popularity in the country and in the region can be used for other things useful to society.
2023-12-12 18:21:48
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