WIMBLEDON, England (AP) 鈥 Listen to Novak Djokovic鈥檚 opponents explain why he is as successful as he is 鈥 why he will begin his pursuit of a fifth consecutive and eighth overall Wimbledon championship on Monday; why he also will be attempting to claim an Open era-record 24th Grand Slam trophy over the coming fortnight on the All England Club鈥檚 grass courts 鈥 and they鈥檒l offer plenty of answers.
His best-in-the-game return of serve. His dangerous two-handed backhand. His elasticity. His stamina. His defense. His ability to read someone else鈥檚 intentions, get to where a ball is headed and send it back with force, a combination Casper Ruud described this way after losing to Djokovic in : 鈥淗e sort of just goes into this mode where he just becomes, like, a wall.鈥
Listen to Novak Djokovic explain why he鈥檚 done what he鈥檚 done and why, at age 36, he鈥檚 still doing it, and he鈥檒l offer a reason far less tangible and far less observable, something he mentioned during his victory speech at Roland Garros a few weeks ago.
鈥淚 try to visualize every single thing in my life and not only believe it, but really feel it with every cell in my body. And I just want to send a message out there to every young person: Be in the present moment; forget about what happened in the past; the future is something that is just going to happen,鈥 Djokovic said. 鈥淏ut if you want a better future, you create it. Take the means in your hands. Believe it. Create it.鈥
Speaking that day about his own hopes and dreams as a 7-year-old kid, Djokovic noted two primary goals: getting to No. 1 and winning Wimbledon.
He鈥檚 already been No. 1 for more weeks than any man or woman in the half-century of computerized rankings. Now he will try to by earning title No. 8 at the oldest of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments. Djokovic is one ahead of the injured Rafael Nadal 鈥 and three ahead of the retired Federer 鈥 for the most singles majors won by a man, with 23.
鈥淭hose two guys,鈥 said Djokovic, who faces Pedro Cachin of Argentina at Centre Court on Monday, 鈥渨ere occupying my mind for the last 15 years quite a lot.鈥
His 23 is the same number Serena Williams ended her career with last season; only Margaret Court, who won 24 across both the amateur and professional eras, has more.
鈥淕rand Slams are the goal. I don鈥檛 know how many, but I think he has in his body a lot more,鈥 said Djokovic鈥檚 coach, Goran Ivanisevic. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fascinating to see, because sometimes you think, 鈥極K, now you have 23.鈥 But he鈥檚 going to find, again, some kind of motivation to win 24, maybe 25. Who knows where is the end?"
Entering the 2011 season, the so-called Big Three鈥檚 Slam standings looked like this: Federer with 16, Nadal with nine, Djokovic with one.
After winning his initial major title at the 2008 Australian Open, Djokovic went through an 11-major span where four of the losses came against Federer or Nadal in a semifinal or final.
His self-confidence waned a bit.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I was really doubting myself, whether I could do it or not, because you get far but then you fall on the last hurdle,鈥 Djokovic said. 鈥淭he more times you kind of fall, the more you question everything, you know what I mean?鈥
And yet, with the same tenacity he uses on a court 鈥 鈥淭he mental fortitude he has is unbelievable,鈥 was how his first-round opponent in Paris, Aleksandar Kovacevic, put it 鈥 Djokovic dug in away from the court and found ways to improve. And still does that, which is part of why most consider him, and not , the favorite as Djokovic continues to pursue the first calendar-year Grand Slam by a man since Rod Laver in 1969.
鈥淭he thing that you have to admire about him is that he鈥檚 been very clear on what it is that he wants to achieve 鈥 trying to get that Grand Slam record. When he put himself in a position to do that, he delivered,鈥 said Andy Murray, who won two of his three major titles at Wimbledon. 鈥淗e didn鈥檛 look like he was getting nervous or overthinking it or any of those things. Yeah, he went and did it. It shows the strength of character that he鈥檚 got.鈥
So where did this belief come from?
Djokovic points to several factors: his upbringing during a time of war and embargo in Serbia in the 1990s; his parents (鈥95-plus percent of people ... were laughing at them, and were discouraging them to spend whatever is left over from the family budget into such an expensive sport,鈥 he said); his first coach and 鈥渢ennis mother,鈥 Jelena Gen膷i膰; and a later coach and 鈥渢ennis father,鈥 Niki Pili膰.
All helped him grow as an athlete and person.
When he was 7 or 8, Djokovic said, Gen膷i膰 would show him video of the best male and female tennis players. She also taught him 鈥渢he importance of relaxing and listening to classical music, reading poetry, singing, and reading, breathing consciously and so forth.鈥
His mother, he said, 鈥渋s a rock,鈥 and his father 鈥渋nstilled in me such power of belief and positive thinking.鈥
That, as much as any particular shot or talent, is why, Djokovic says, 鈥淥n a daily basis, I鈥檓 the best on the court.鈥
It鈥檚 why he has won 11 of the past 20 Grand Slam tournaments.
And it鈥檚 why he wants to keep going.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel more relaxed, to be honest. I still feel hungry for success, for more Grand Slams, more achievements in tennis. As long as there鈥檚 that drive, I know that I鈥檓 able to compete at the highest level,鈥 Djokovic said. 鈥淎 few days after Roland Garros, I was already thinking about preparation for grass and what needs to be done."
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Howard Fendrich has been the AP鈥檚 tennis writer since 2002. Follow him on Twitter at
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