Mid-career Zen brings balance, success for Novak Djokovic
NEW YORK — In the city that never sleeps — and in a tennis world that is as unforgiving as the late-summer sun in New York — world No. 1 and U.S. Open favorite Novak Djokovic tips his cap of success to a mental strength brought on by a recently found balance in his life.
“People are trying to pick one thing and say that it’s the secret to my success and my ability to stay focused on court,” Djokovic told USA TODAY Sports in an exclusive interview Tuesday. “But it’s not yoga or one particular thing; it’s a combination of things that allow me to maximize my ability and be able to holistically approach my professional life.”
The Serbian is a player who speaks in sentences as lofty as his baseline rallies are long. He entered Queens as the Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, one match short (a French Open final defeat to Stan Wawrinka) of joining Serena Williams in the chase for a calendar year Grand Slam. He plays Andreas Haider-Maurer in the second round Wednesday night.
His past is partly what drives him, that loss to Wawrinka stinging, but one melted away by a ninth major victory at Wimbledon, where he beat Roger Federer in the final. A future unknown is equally as motivating.
“It’s important to find that necessary source of motivation to keep going; it’s easy to get stuck,” Djokovic, 28, said. “I relive moments from the past sometimes, mostly positive, sometimes negative. I don’t suppress them, but I try to learn from those moments and acknowledge that certain situations occurred for a reason. That’s helped me grow and become who I am today.”
Who he is right now is the No. 1 player in the world. He’s a combined 13-3 vs. Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal in the last 16 matches they’ve played. It’s a record that speaks, in part, to a mid-career Zen.
“I do have certain techniques of breathing and meditation, but it’s mostly a philosophy and a lifestyle. That’s my approach,” Djokovic said. “Over the years, because of the experiences I’ve had in this profession, I know how much concentration and commitment this takes. I haven’t always reacted to certain stressful situation the way I’ve wanted to. I’m able to learn from that quickly and bounce back and recover. ... You have to be able to understand what’s best for you.”
Djokovic and his wife, Jelena, welcomed a baby boy, Stefan, in October. The family has joined Djokovic here, a kind of off-court distraction that he instead sees as another piece of the balancing puzzle.
“We manage to set up missions and goals of things that we both want to accomplish,” Djokovic said of Jelena, who heads up her husband’s foundation, focused on early childhood education in Serbia. “I’m eternally grateful for her. She still is there and helping me to grow and push my own borders.”
Coached by Boris Becker and Marian Vajda, a Slovak on his team for nearly 10 years, Djokovic’s approach seems to be working: He’s in the sport, not of it. But will that bring him a second U.S. Open — and first since 2011?
“I love tennis and I’m fully committed to the sport, but on the other hand I’m not the person I was five or six years ago,” a reflective Djokovic said. “I was on the tour full time and I was getting most of my happiness in life from winning tennis matches. Right now, I’m balanced. I can feel I’m more complete as a person, more mature.
“When I lose a match, it’s not the end of the world. I have so many other things that complete me; that fulfill me. Being able to organize myself like that releases a lot of pressure from the tennis side.”
ROUND 1 AT THE U.S. OPEN:
