Novak Djokovic is leading the ATP tour for almost two decades now and the Serb admitted the pressure of living up the hype of his status as a role model gets better of him at times.
ATP #2 seed Djokovic has entered R3 at Flushing Meadows after drubbing Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-4, 6-1, 6-1. As always, the 23-time GS champion displayed honesty during his post-match press duties and in his first comments were suggestive of his sympathy for the media performing their work in chilled conditions as he opened the conversation with a question: “Does it have to be so cold here? Wow. It’s like cryo chamber!”
At the press talk, when asked how he deals with the status of living up as the superstar of the sport, Djokovic came up with an intriguing response that was detailed and convincing.
“I think is a key of understanding who you are and keeping the authenticity in today’s world, that’s probably even more needed and respected than it ever was,” he stated.
“There’s so much going on, there’s tons of information that are coming to you through social media, through internet, television, you know, any digital communication tool that you can think of. You have thousands of information that you have to process every single day. So that’s a lot.
“I mean, when I was starting my professional tennis career, it was completely different.
“So I think it’s something that you can’t really stop or, you know, the more you resist it, I guess, the worse it is. You have to kind of find the individual formula that really works for you.
“I feel it’s important to embrace the change, the evolution of humankind, of society, you know, of where things are going, and try to use that as a tool for your professional career, your branding, your marketing, your PR, your communication to your fans, the charity.
“Whatever you’re looking for in whatever ways you want to communicate to the world, I think nowadays it’s better than ever. Because, you know, all it takes is a photo and one or two phrases and, you know, millions of people around the world can see it instantly, which is amazing, if you think about that.”
Djokovic who has always been candid and vocal on tennis debates, admitted that his own mental well-being would take a toll if he couldn’t keep his mind clear on and off the court.
“It’s important to find a balance, especially for an athlete,” he added.
“Athletes are, especially the athletes in global sports, football, basketball, soccer, tennis, you know, golf, these sports are, you know, followed around the world, and whatever you say, however you behave is monitored and analyzed and judged, positive or negative way, by millions of people.
“So, you know, if an athlete is not really paying too much attention on the mental side of things, you know, it can really hurt you. The comments and everything, right? So mental health is important. I think it’s equally as important as physical health.
“I’m really glad that there have been more talks about that, more conversations in the last few years. Really glad to hear that.
“I think we have to collectively pay more attention to that so that we also help each other and athletes and us as a whole ecosystem to thrive and use this evolution as an advantage rather than something that can take us down.”
The 3-time US Open champion has always been very open in his fascinating press briefings that are full of insights allowing the reporters to get something more than just routine stuff. As a sporting great of modern era, Djokovic may be mentally the strongest player in the tennis world but he admitted that his superstar mind feels pressure when dealing with fame.