Making history is nothing new for Novak Djokovic. In recent weeks alone, he has surpassed three of his own records again: 39 Masters 1000s (with August's win in Cincinnati), 390 weeks at number one, and winning his 24th Grand Slam in New York on Sunday. "I haven't played in US tournaments the last two years and the last time I was here I lost in the final against the same player I beat today." This change in circumstances does not go unnoticed by the brand-new champion, who at this point in his career has only one goal in mind: to get more majors.
"The last 48 hours I didn't let the importance of the moment and what's at stake get into my head because two years ago this is what happened, and I wasn't at the level, I wasn't able to give my best of me and they surpassed me. I learned my lesson. My team and my family knew that in the last 24 hours they were not to touch me, or talk to me about the story and what was at stake", he explained with a smile. There are few who would want to be around him in high tension situations!
It's been 15 years since her first Grand Slam trophy, at the 2008 Australian Open. To put things into perspective, when she won that title, aged 20, the world was in the midst of a global economic crisis, Zapatero was the president of the Spanish government and Instagram did not exist. Things have changed, and so has Djokovic. "There are always changes in the way I approach training, recovery, my mental preparation. I try to add something that makes me improve at least by a small percentage”.
This continuous adaptation, this desire for self-improvement is what allows him to stay on top of everything. During all these years, the only constant is change. “You need to reinvent yourself. At 36 years old, competing with 20-year-old guys, I have to do more than I have ever done in my life to be able to get my body in shape, to be able to recover and perform at my peak in a stable way. And also mentally and emotionally, you have to find the balance between motivation, which allows me to stay inspired to play my best tennis and compete with these guys, and fun and passion for the sport. It's a process of constant evolution to try to apply things that put me one step ahead of all these young talents".
One of these twenty-year-olds ruined his perfect season of Grand Slams. His at Wimbledon against Carlos Alcaraz is a thorn that cannot be removed and bothers him especially when pundits and fans use it to talk about the tipping point of a possible changing of the guard. "I don't care what people say about the passing of the torch, the Next Gen, or what happens or stops happening in tennis. My only focus is to put myself in optimal condition to be able to win the biggest trophies in our sport", he assured. "It's great for sport to have good rivalries, like with Alcaraz, without a doubt. He is a refreshing thing for tennis, a great player, amazing, and also a good person. We want more attention to be paid to tennis, but at the end of the day, my goal has always been to try to win all the Grand Slams."
Djokovic has no intention of retiring, for now. “Why do I still have to do this after what I have achieved? How long do I want to continue? These questions run through my mind. But knowing that I'm playing at such a high level and that I'm winning the biggest tournaments in this sport, I don't want to get rid of it. I don't want to leave if I'm still on top. I will continue I'm doing well physically and I have the support of my team and my family."
The family travels with him to all the big ones. His sons Stefan, nine, and Tara, six, watched him conquer Roland Garros in June, and cheered his US Open win on Sunday.
“When I became a father, one of my wishes was to live one day when I could win a Slam in front of them, and for them to be old enough to understand what was going on. I have been very fortunate to have experienced it twice this year." And he credits his daughter, who was sitting in the front row, in front of his bench, for helping him through the most difficult moments of the final. "Every time I needed a little innocent childish energy, she gave it to me, with a smile, with a raised fist." Tara was the first person Djokovic hugged when the match was over.
Next stop on the family trip: Australia.
(Although before that he will have to go through the group stage of the Davis Cup, which is held in Valencia next weekend).
