Novak Djokovic managed to make a season that risked being a failure extraordinary. The Serbian phenomenon paid dearly for his choice not to get vaccinated against the Coronavirus, having had to miss the Australian Open and the US Open this year.
For the same reason, the former world number 1 also had to give up all the American Masters 1000. After the disappointment suffered at Roland Garros, Nole got back on track by clawing for his seventh Wimbledon title (fourth in a row).
The 35-year-old from Belgrade thus hoisted himself to 21 Grand Slams, just one length away from Rafael Nadal’s all-time record. The ‘Djoker’ enhanced his season by also winning the ATP Finals in Turin, the Masters 1000 in Rome, the ATP 500 in Astana and the ATP 250 in Tel Aviv.
A few weeks ago, Goran Ivanisevic’s protégé received permission to travel to Australia next month. During a press conference organized in Marbella in collaboration with Asics, Djokovic told how he approached tennis.
Djokovic is a true champion
During a press conference organized in Marbella in partnership with Asics, his equipment supplier, Novak Djokovic recalled how he came to play tennis when no one in his family practiced this sport.
“Sometimes I remember why I started playing tennis when I was a kid. No one had made a sound before me in my house. Tennis was not our sport in the family (his father was a professional skier). So I fell in love with this sport by a kind of accident.
They built three tennis courts in front of the restaurant my family ran, 15 meters away. I was four or five years old and I was curious, I was interested, I watched them and I even helped the workers. I then asked my parents to tell me about this sport, I started watching it on television and I asked them to buy me a racket.
That’s how it all started.” Novak Djokovic might be the epitome of the adage: “It’s not how you start, but how you finish.” “That kind of performance could not come at a better moment for me, because I was looking really to get at that highest level and try to finish the season in style, and hopefully carry that momentum into the next season,” said Novak Djokovic during the Asics Tennis Summit in Marbella.
“That was a great way to finish the season. This season has been very challenging for me in many levels. The way I started was something I never experienced before. So it took me several months really to find a balance on the court mentally, physically, and emotionally, and to really be able to start playing tennis that I want to play,” said Djokovic.
