Fitness trainer Gebhard Gritsch said he traveled with Novak Djokovic for 40 weeks a year, but was glad he had the opportunity to work with one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Gritsch worked with Djokovic between 2009 and 2017, the period in which Djokovic became a Grand Slam champion and No.1.
“On average, I was on tour with Novak for 40 weeks a year, an incredibly intense time,” Gritsch recalled in his interview with Sport Tirol, quoted on Tennisnet.com. Gritsch immediately noticed Djokovic’s very special physique.
“The way he moves, he can still control the ball where others would have lost their balance, this is all amazing, it was so much fun,” Gritsch said. Djokovic’s first major season came in 2011, when he won three Grand Slams and climbed to No.1 in the rankings for the first time in his career.
“I took this great opportunity to work with a great tennis player. When I started, Djokovic is number three,” says Gritsch. “My first task was to get him into top physical shape. The big breakthrough came in 2011 when he beat Federer and Nadal – it’s impressive how long his series lasted.
Especially when you know how hard it is to get the number to become one and then stay.” Djokovic fired Gritsch in 2017, but a year later he brought the fitness trainer back to his team. However, the two parted ways permanently in 2019.
“The split came after his victory at the 2016 French Open in Paris. There, Novak had won all four Grand Slam tournaments with his final win over Andy Murray and, therefore, he achieved one last big goal for that time. When you stand on top and look back, a huge load falls off your shoulders.
And suddenly the air ran out,” Gritsch explained.
Djokovic on the longevity of his tennis career
Novak Djokovic declared a statement of intent, expressing that he still has a lot to achieve as a tennis player. “I still have things to do here in this sport,” Djokovic said.
“I believe I can win more Slams and I can break the record for longest No. 1. Those are definitely my clear goals.” He further went on to highlight that it will require a huge amount of work on his end, both professionally and personally, to make that a reality.
“I don’t believe in limits,” the Serbian said. “I think limits are only an illusion of your ego or your mind. I definitely want to go for a long time, but I know that at the same time I will have to maintain the right principles and the routine to maintain the health and well-being of my body, mind, soul. Everything has to work in synergy and harmony with my family, my private life.”
