“I Wanted to Leave Tennis” – Novak Djokovic Says He Wasn’t Happy With His Life

Novak Djokovic admitted he had considered retiring from tennis when he was ranked number 3 in the world. The Serbian was not happy with his life as he was not able to get the better of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion is an epitome of mental toughness. However, he also went through very tough times on multiple occasions in his career. His lowest point, though, came in 2010 when he considered quitting the sport.

Novak clinched his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2008 Australian Open. However, he went on to lose four of his next five Grand Slam encounters against Federer. He also suffered disappointing defeats in his four meetings with Nadal at the Majors during that period.

“I saw everything black” – Novak Djokovic

Things went from bad to worse when Jurgen Melzer sent him packing at the French Open 2010. The defeat was particularly disappointing for Djokovic as he threw away a two-set lead in the match. The setback left the Serbian in doubt about his game; compelling him to think about retiring from the sport.

“In 2010 I lost to Melzer in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, I cried after this knockout,” Djokovic said in an interview with Sky Sports Italia.

“It was a bad moment, I wanted to leave tennis because I saw everything black. It was a transformation because after that defeat I freed myself. I had won in Australia in 2008, I was number 3 in the world but I wasn’t happy,” he added.

The Serb explained that while he knew he could do more, he had lost the most important games against Federer and Nadal. However, from that moment on he took the pressure off himself and started playing more aggressively. 

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Djokovic is within touching distance of Nadal’s 19 Grand Slams and Federer’s all-time record of 20 Majors. Moreover, he has a 100 percent record in 2020 and was enjoying the best form of his life before the suspension. Hence, the Serb will hope that the tour resumes soon and he continues his winning momentum.