Novak Djokovic has yearned for tennis records throughout his career but explained that is no longer the case thanks to a change in his mindset.
Djokovic is statistically the greatest tennis player of all time. He has won the most big titles of any player and the most Grand Slams. In 2023, he became the first man to win three of the four majors in the same season four times (2011, 2015, 2021 and 2023).
The Serb also added to his Masters collection, winning in Cincinnati and Paris-Bercy and taking his record tally to 40 at that level. He ended last season as the oldest year-end No. 1 in ATP history, breaking his own record from 2021.
Despite being denied millions in bonuses by the ATP for not meeting the eligibility requirements, he topped the charts as the top earner across both tours in 2023. The fact that Djokovic had to make a lot of tough life choices at the beginning of his career makes his success sweeter.
In a recent article by Jon Wertheim, which was published on Sports Illustrated, Djokovic talks about the “severe sacrifices” and considers them as a “lifestyle” and that it was always the life he had envisaged.
“It’s lifestyle, really. And it’s my choice. That’s how I want to eat. That’s how I want to live. Get a good amount of sleep and recovery. Go outdoors. Be in nature. Eat well, drink. Hydrate. Exercise. Movement. Activity. (I) try to have this kind of a holistic, healthy approach.”
For many years, Djokovic lived in the shadow of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who ruled men’s tennis in the late noughties. But since 2011, Djokovic began attracting the recognition he merited and ended their duopoly by beating them regularly in major tournaments.
Since surpassing both of them in the Grand Slam count and being the ultimate record holder of the most weeks at No. 1, Djokovic suggested that chasing records is a thing of the yesteryears. He believes his main aim at 36 and beyond is to create and stop the younger generation from upstaging him.
“I don’t feel like I’m chasing anything now. I feel like I’m creating. That’s kind of a mindset I have.”
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