Interview with Djokovic: The Grand Slam is not the motivation to persevere, Federer taught me too much!

Djokovic recently spoke publicly about the only motivation that motivates him to continue his tennis career, with the Serbian star currently preparing for the upcoming Wimbledon season in 2025.

Djokovic's last appearance was on June 6, when he faced Sinner in the semifinals of the French Open. Sinner came in from a strong performance to beat Djokovic 6-4 7-5 7-6(7) to reach the French Open final, a defeat that ended the 38-year-old's dream of a 25th Grand Slam title.

A few days after the match, Djokovic gave an interview in which he revealed the only reason to continue his career. He attributed the motivation to the Olympics and said it was an honor for him to be able to participate in the Olympics and that his goal was to compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Commenting on the special significance of the Games, he said: "Professionally, the only thing that gives me a clear goal at the moment is the Olympics. Speaking of these achievements, as well as the meaning and redemption that the Olympics represent, the only thing that inspires me in my mind is Los Angeles 2028. There are also national team players and Grand Slams. ”

He added: "But even the Grand Slam is not as important as the Olympics. I now look at my career cycle just to compete in the Olympics and become an Olympian. Putting on the national team jersey, walking into the Olympic Village, and surviving with the best Olympians, that's the real sport. ”

Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are three of the most iconic players in tennis, and they have long been regarded as each other's strongest rivals. However, Djokovic has recently reflected on his lack of popularity with fans as Federer and Nadal.

In a recent interview with "The Loser of the Champion," he said he felt like an "unwanted child": "I acted like an unpopular kid, and I did. I asked myself why this was happening, and it hurt me. Then I thought that if I had behaved in a different way, the fans might have accepted me, but it wasn't. ”

He added: "I've never been as loved as Federer and Nadal because I shouldn't have been there. I'm the latecomer, the little guy who says, 'I'm going to be number one in the world,' and a lot of people don't like that. ”

So far, Djokovic has won 100 singles titles in his career, including 24 Grand Slam titles. By comparison, Nadal has won 92 singles titles in his career, including 22 Grand Slam titles; Federer, on the other hand, has won 103 ATP singles titles, including 20 Grand Slam titles.

Djokovic also shared an important lesson Federer taught him. In an interview with the YouTube channel, Djokovic was asked how he reached the top of his game at the top of the Grand Slam tournament.

He replied: "There's a way, that's how it's scheduled, you have to adapt. When you're young, at the beginning of your career, every game counts, but the Grand Slams are the real big deal, we all know that, and not everybody sees it that way. There are a lot of people who say that the Grand Slam is the most important thing and is their dream, but in reality, they don't organize their life and training according to the schedule of the Grand Slam, and they don't prepare to be the best in the Grand Slam, they don't do it, most people don't. ”

"Why? Because that's the reality. Maybe they don't have enough confidence in themselves to believe that they can go far in a Grand Slam, so they go to other tournaments a week before the Grand Slam to earn points. You know, not everybody is fit to compete at the highest level and compete for the biggest titles, that's okay, but there are ways. Federer helped me a lot in this regard, although not directly, but indirectly. ”

Djokovic referred to the experience Federer gave him: "I watched how he organised his schedule and I learned a lot from him in that regard. It taught me how to be in control of my state and when to rest, even if sometimes I didn't want to. I've made mistakes, too. There were times when I should have rested and I didn't, but most of the time I made the right choices, which allowed me to win races and achieve what I achieved. So I think you should always keep an open mind to learn because you never know who you're going to learn something important from. ”(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)