‘No One Is Forcing Me to Play’ – Novak Djokovic Says He Has Done Enough in His Career to Stop Today

It is difficult to imagine what it takes to reach the top level in sports, let alone sustain over there. Ask World Number 1, Novak Djokovic, who has been consistently playing for close to 20 years. The Serb has shown immense grit and determination to reach where he is today. Further, over his career, he has won 20 Grand Slam titles. Additionally, he holds the record for the most ATP Masters 1000 titles in singles, with 37 titles to his credit.

Recently, Djokovic opened up about his longevity in tennis.

Novak Djokovic talks about his strategy to approach tournaments

The Serb is in his hometown to participate at the Serbia Open. During the post-match press conference, he revealed the process of staying disciplined to excel in the career. He said, “Well, I can speak generally, but I can also, I think, speak from the perspective of a 35-year-old, and you know, which is different for a 25-year-old. On every stage of your career, especially after playing for 20 years on the tour, has its differences, you know, in terms of how you approach things mentally.”

Further, he added, “My life has changed so much in the last 10 years, and my body as well. So I have to adjust to that, adapt and understand these changes, understand what I’m going through and figure out the biology of things and constantly strategize, organize and plan with my team that is around me that helps me to peak at the right time and to be able to compete with young guys. I know that, for me, age is just a number. I sincerely feel younger than 35. Of course, after so many years of playing, there is a certain degree of, I would say, adaptability that needs to go with the tour and with schedule.”

DIVE DEEPER: ATP and WTA Collaborate for the First Time to Launch an App for the Fans

Talking about selecting particular tournaments, Djokovic said, “I am not able or I do not want to play full schedule like I used to a few years ago. So, I have to prioritize certain events, and I have to strategically approach preparation for those events where I want to peak. For example, now it’s Roland Garros. Of course, I don’t want to lose any tournament. I want to win every match that I play on and of course, that’s the mentality.”

Djokovic’s take on his consistency and expectations from fans

Throwing light on his career, the Serb said, “When you have early losses and you haven’t had too many matches, you feel strange because I haven’t had that much, those prickle situations. I was lucky to really play consistently well throughout the entire career. And most of my trajectory in my career in terms of my rankings was going upwards, except one of the years when I had injury, surgery and I was absent from the tour and I dropped in rankings but I was constantly there at the top of the men’s game.”

On fan expectations, he revealed, “Of course, all these expectations from people around that they got used to seeing you at that level, you know, for 10-15 years. They always expect you to be winning 99% of the matches, but obviously, that’s not possible. You have to expect the fact that you’ll gonna lose, that you’re not going to feel good, that it might take more time to get into the groove. And now again it depends on the surface. It depends on the time of the year, it depends on how you feel, what’s going on with your body, and your private life. There are so many different factors that affect the outcome that you see in the performance on the court.”

WATCH THIS STORY: The Greatest Comebacks in Tennis

Further, he went on to add, “But the discipline that you’re referring to, needs to always be present. Before discipline, I would say is commitment and devotion. If you’re not committed and devoted, then you’ll not gonna have as much discipline that’s necessary. And even before that, is obviously what drives you, why are you playing, and for me, I try to always draw the strength from the love and passion for the game and I choose to play, no one is forcing me to play. I’ve done enough in my career that I can stop today but I still feel motivated and inspired.”

Djokovic’s Serbia Open journey

In just his third tournament this season, the 20-time Grand Slam champion has displayed tremendous fighting spirit at the tournament in his native country. He defeated compatriot, Laslo Djere, in a come-from-behind victory. In a match lasting just short of three and a half hours, Djokovic prevailed over Djere 2-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4).

Djokovic has reached the semifinals of the Serbia Open. Yesterday, he secured a hard-fought, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Miomir Kecmanovic in the quarterfinal clash. In the semifinals, Djokovic will face Karen Khachanov. It’ll be interesting to see if the Serb can win his first title of this season at the Serbia Open in Belgrade.