Before making his debut at the Mutua Madrid Open, Novak Djokovic gave a very thoughtful press conference at the Caja Magica, addressing several topics such as the present and future of tennis, the high level that Carlos Alcaraz has reached at the age of 21 or ‘being a slave to tennis’(as the journalist who asked ‘Nole’ quotes) to which the Spaniard refers in his documentary. “To be the best in history, a slave you have to be,” he says in a moment of it in a chat with Juan Carlos Ferrero, who is the one who tells him these words.
The Serb was questioned about the documentary ‘A mi manera’ which was released on Netflix and is about Alcaraz’s life. “How does it feel to achieve what he has achieved in tennis?” they asked Nole after explaining Carlitos’ reflection. And the Serb… spoke.
“I understand that it’s a bit of a harsh word to describe the feeling of being trapped in the game, in a way, in the game of life or in the profession, in this sport. But I understand why he said it, because it’s an individual sport and it requires 100%, really 100% of the physical energy, but also mental and emotional energy of a tennis player, which is much more than just hitting a ball on the court,” said the former world No. 1.
I understand why he said it… because it’s an individual sport and it requires 100%
“So it takes a lot of time out of your year, or years out of your life. It doesn’t matter, because in the end it’s your decision. Not everyone has a choice, of course, a lot of people suffer in other areas of life, and we know that, so I don’t want it to sound arrogant or pretentious. But, well, we’re lucky to be able to do what we do. You know, most of us love tennis, we love this sport, we fell in love with it as kids, and here we are playing at the highest level, speaking in front of a full press room, and of course that brings us a lot of positivity. And that rewards us enormously,” he continued.
It takes a lot of time out of your year, or years out of your life
“But, of course, it’s not easy. You know, you have a lot of challenges, and one of them is the length of the tennis season, which is the longest of any sport in the world. It starts in January and ends almost at the end of November. So, for me, it’s always been very long, especially in the last few years with some changes, and the two or almost two-week-long events. Now, essentially, we don’t have four Grand Slams, but maybe 12 Grand Slams, you know? If you think about it, because each Grand Slam lasts two weeks, and now you have 1000 events that also last almost two weeks. So it’s a lot, it’s a lot of time you spend traveling without seeing your family or being at home.”
You have many challenges, and one of them is the length of the tennis season, which is the longest of any sport in the world
“It depends on the person or the player, but of course it wears you out a lot. It gives you the opportunity to do your job, of course, and a profession, and to do your thing, or, how shall I put it?… to be grateful to do something you are passionate about and be successful at it. But at the same time, there is also the other side.So I understand why he said it, but maybe he used a slightly harsh word to describe it,” he concluded in the press room.
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