Novak Djokovic has insisted he still has the desire to challenge for more glory in his tennis career, after revealing he has already visualised his victory at this year’s French Open.
In a revealing interview with CNN, the world No 1 hit back at suggestions his ambition for more success is waning, as he is already thinking about winning a 25th Grand Slam title by defending his title at Roland Garros.
In a conversation conducted alongside NFL legend Tom Brady, Djokovic suggested he is already setting his mind into a winning mode as he looks ahead to another crack at glory in Paris.
“I’m working towards that,” he said when asked about his French Open hopes.
“At that level, you take nothing but the win. That’s the mentality. And you kind of visualize yourself achieving that already.”
Djokovic also looked back at the most sluggish start he has had to a tennis year, as he insisted his challenge to compete with young guns like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz inspires him to succeed.
“This year it’s a bit different, but that’s okay, that’s fine,” he continued. “There’s still flare inside, I still want to do more in this sport, I still enjoy the thrill of the competition and see how far I can go.
“We’re just in the fourth month of the season. The tennis season is very long, still have three Slams, Olympic Games, many other tournaments. So going to get ready and try to win more.”
“I like competing with different generations. You have the young guys that are coming up – Alcaraz, Sinner – they’re all incredibly hungry and fit and fast, but I use my adaptability to adjust my tactics and my game to them and understand what it takes to stay at the top and compete with these guys and try to win more titles.
“It hasn’t been the start that I’ve had for most of my career. I’ve been really blessed and fortunate to kick-start most of the seasons in the last 20 years of my career with a win in Australia and that has been very nice to me.
“Obviously when you kickstart the year with a Grand Slam win you get the wind in your sails and it sets the tone for the rest of the season.”
Djokovic has confirmed that he expects to play in next month’s Rome Masters event, in what will be his final warm-up event before the French Open.
Yet after playing just three regular tour events so far in 2024, Djokovic could be heading into the second major of the tennis year with a lack of matches under his belt.
With his 37th birthday looming next month, the Serbian appears to be confident that he is in good shape to bounce back from recent setbacks and return to winning ways.
“I feel like it’s so important always to remind yourself to be in the present moment, really to appreciate, to acknowledge, to remember where you came from, the journey, the path, also the people that surround you,” he added.
“I have a lot of people around me other than my family and closest people in my life. There’s a great team of people that really helps me perform at my best when it’s most necessary. And you know, tennis is also a sport that has a very long season, very, very intense calendar and schedules.
“So every single week there’s something new happening and new events. So I think I will truly be able to appreciate everything that we have accomplished really, only post-career, to be honest, because while you’re still active it’s – what’s the next task, what’s the next challenge?”
