Dmitry Tursunov lavished praise on Novak Djokovic and believes the Serbian star is the “most motivated” player on the ATP Tour.
Djokovic, 36, has remained in peak physical shape, something Tursunov asserts has a massive impact on how he performs on the court. Testament to Djokovic’s dedication and longevity, he is the oldest player in the world’s Top 20.
Speaking on Championat, the former ATP World No. 20 opined that it would be difficult for the rest of the tour to beat Djokovic regularly if he remained in top-notch physical shape.
“No matter how many contenders there are, as long as Novak is in good shape, it will be very difficult to beat him. After all, in addition to his experience, he also has very good physical shape.”
Djokovic did not have any major physical issues with his body throughout 2023, and he was able to pick and choose which tournaments to play based on their status and priority.
The Serbian star was handsomely rewarded with his excellent choice of calendar, playing just 12 ATP tournaments and winning seven titles – the most by any player on the men’s tour last season.
In the past, Djokovic has been proclaimed as an entirely different specimen from his peers. French coach Patrick Mouratoglou said he could play in his 40s given how delicate and astute he takes care of his body. Tursunov concurs on that point of Djokovic’s physique and his wild choices of meals between matches.
“If you take Rafa (Nadal) or Roger (Federer), who have experience, but physics is no longer the same, then they could lose in this. Novak stays on the physical level. It is very difficult to neutralise him.”
“We can say that Djokovic is definitely the most motivated of the guys. That is, (if) we can somehow determine this from the outside. We can’t understand, but when a person, after playing a five-set semi-final, refuses a piece of chocolate because it contains gluten – and he decided not to eat it – then there is a very serious self-discipline that no one can compete with.”
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