What is the success mantra for the 37-year-old ‘Serbinator’? We all saw how he became emotional after clinching the gold medal for his nation at the Paris Olympics. Now, at the US Open, it seems he has started exactly from where he left off on the Parisian clay. Djokovic recently secured a comfortable 6-2,6-2,6-4 victory over the Moldovan tennis star Radu Albot.
Shortly after this emphatic victory in the first round, Djokovic gave away the secret mantra to his longevity.
How do you do this Nole? Well, in reply to James Blake’s question, Djokovic stated, “There’s not one word or secret that would describe it all. It’s just a way of life. Way to approach my tennis career.
I was fortunate very early on in my life to be surrounded by knowledgeable and passionate people who were kind enough to share their guidance with me for years and they taught me very early on that prevention equals longevity.”
He further went on to add, “Stretching. Warm-up. Everything I do early on in my life will come back to me later in my career. The body is one part. The mentality and emotional, mental aspect is something on the other side.” His advice to all athletes is to find the optimal balance between the two.
“I’m still enjoying myself to compete. I’m very self-critical on the court. I get frustrated at times. At the end of the day, this sport gave me so much. Me continuing to play and giving 100% every time I step on the court is paying back to this wonderful sport,” said the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Novak Djokovic after beating Albot at US Open
James Blake: “37 years old and you look like you’re moving at 21 years old. How do you do this for this long?”
