Noval Djokovic says he still has the drive to continue his illustrious tennis career despite admitting that he has ‘achieved pretty much everything he can achieve.’
The 21-time Grand Slam champion is one of the most decorated tennis players in history with 88 Tour titles to his name. He has held the ATP No.1 spot for more weeks than any other player and his career earnings of almost $159M is a record for the sport. He also has the most wins over top 10 opposition which currently stands at 232.
Djokovic, who is playing at the Tel Aviv Open this week, says his successful career hasn’t been due to one particular thing. Instead, he said a group of factors had aided his rise to the top of the sport.
“There isn’t one secret or one key that solves all the problems. It’s a combination of things that are part of your character: who you are, how you train, what’s your lifestyle,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “It all creates the image of success. That formula has worked for me.”
Currently ranked seventh in the world, the Serbian admits that there is always room for improvement as he seeks a return back to the No.1 spot which is currently held by 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz.
“I also try some new things, because I always want to progress. Especially when you have guys like Alcaraz, who is full of power and adrenaline. So you always have to figure out how to improve and take yourself to a higher level,” he continued.
Tel Aviv will be the first singles tournament Djokovic has played in since Winning Wimbledon in July. He missed the North American swing as he was unable to travel to the region due to being unvaccinated against COVID-19.
He returned to competitive tennis over the weekend in the Laver Cup where he experienced mixed results on the court with a dominant victory over Frances Tiafoe before losing to Felix Auger-Aliassime a day later. He also won his doubles match alongside Italy’s Matteo Berrettini. It was during the three-day event that Djokovic admitted that he had some concerns over soreness in his right wrist but those worries have since been alleviated.
“I practiced today for two hours and it was ok. I am feeling good and happy that injuries are now behind me,” he stated.
Losing a member of the Big Three
Watching Roger Federer play his final match at The O2 Arena last Friday has got Djokovic thinking about how he would like his career to end. Although the 35-year-old, who is six years younger than the Swiss maestro, has no intention of doing so anytime soon.
“Seeing his kids and his family, it got me emotional as well. I also must say I was thinking about how it would look for me when I say goodbye to tennis,” he said.
“There is definitely one thing that I will wish to have, other than, of course, my family and the close people in my life, I would love to have my biggest rivals and competitors there. Because it added something more special, added more importance to that moment.”
Now Federer has said his farewell, the other long-time nemesis of Djokovic’s is showing no signs of calling it a day anytime soon. Rafael Nadal currently holds the record for most major titles won but Djokovic is just one title behind.
“Everyone is my rival, whoever I step out on court against. But when it comes to who is my biggest rival, then it’s Nadal without a doubt. He is still there. We played more matches against each other than any other rivalry in the history of tennis. And I hope that we will play many more times, it’s exciting for us and for tennis.” He commented.
Djokovic will be doing double duty at the Tel Aviv Open this week. Besides being the top seed in the singles draw, he will also play doubles alongside soon-to-be-retired Jonathan Erlich. Together the duo claimed the 2010 Queen’s Club trophy which is Djokovic’s only doubles title on the ATP Tour.
