Novak Djokovic has achieved almost everything in the record books. He has 24 Grand Slams titles in his glittering cabinet, an Olympic gold medal, a total of 99 career titles, and the record of most weeks (428) as World no.1 in PIF ATP Rankings.
Despite achieving all this, the Serbian still wants to carry on and reach new echelons of the sport. Djokovic revealed he is still hungry for more and one of the main reasons he wants to keep going is the fact that he loves playing the game.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion said he goes through a lot of emotions while playing the game and he can’t get the same experience elsewhere.
“It is mainly because of the love for tennis, for the sport. Secondly, there is also the fact that I think that through tennis I develop the most as a person, as strange as it may sound, but on the tennis court during a match I go through a million emotions – some of the most beautiful, some of the worst, and doubts, and criticism, and ecstasy, pleasure, anger, anger, everything else… And in those few hours, I sometimes even embarrass myself for what I am going through and how I behave, on the other hand, what thoughts appear to me,” Novak Djokovic said in an interview with Vijesti.
“In any case, I am proud that I can go through it all in a humane and sporting way and lend a hand to my opponent, regardless of whether he won or lost. I think that these are the values that sport sends and that is why people identify with athletes. Especially in an individual sport, where you have to beat yourself first to beat the one across the net,” Djokovic added.
Djokovic recently had to retire in the semifinal clash of the Australian Open against Alexander Zverev due to a muscle tear.