Written by Staff Writer
Watching tennis, Novak Djokovic, 28, is indefatigable, unstoppable. He repeats the trite details, then declines to place himself at the head of the pack of tennis greats.
“What have I done that has made me the greatest player of all time?” he asked. “What have I done that makes me number one?”
Since his rise to the top of the sport he has achieved a degree of sporting domination unparalleled since tennis turned professional more than half a century ago. World number one Djokovic begins the French Open this week by defending his title — a benchmark that will test the limits of his ability and perhaps give him a sense of perspective.
The Serb’s claim to be best in the world has always been compatible with his assertion that he’s most fulfilled by being known as a winner.
Djokovic won both the French Open and Wimbledon singles titles in 2016, the same year he won a record-equaling fourth Australian Open, the rare feat achieved by only four men in history. If he wins the French Open this year, he would become the fifth man to win all four of the Grand Slams in the same year, joined only by Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Djokovic’s Wimbledon tennis 2016 final. Credit: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Yet he doesn’t feel equal to them.
“I’m still only 28,” he said. “If you’re like Roger and Federer, you’re playing for 20 years, that’s a long time. I still have a lot of potential. I’m still hungry to always grow in a healthy, happy space. And I hope I get those opportunities that I could win those grand slams.”
Djokovic acknowledged that tennis was inherently a brutal sport, one in which winning requires supreme mental strength. It could make anyone appear almost psychotic, he said.
“I would definitely need to get to that level [of mental strength] in order to compete with the true greats,” he said. “That’s what I strive for all the time and that’s what I’m working for every day.”
There’s no mystery as to why Djokovic has been so dominant; he’s the first to admit that his fitness levels are off the scale. When it comes to an off-court workout he often looks more like a celebrity workout guru than an athlete.
To Djokovic, that means it comes easy. It’s part of the show.
“I need to be myself, I need to be myself with the intensity, but at the same time have fun. Play tennis, win tennis, have fun playing tennis,” he said. “That’s what I do. I don’t take life too seriously.”
The fragility of tennis is easily seen in the endless travails of Andy Murray, the other traditional “world number one” in the men’s game. In eight Grand Slam events this year, Murray has only one win and a round-of-16 exit to Federer, who similarly played brilliantly to win at Roland Garros in 2010.
“I’m aware of how good Andy is,” Djokovic said. “I’ve played him many times on very high level. He’s not going to get frustrated by me.”