Past year I read beautiful book called The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. This book taught me a lesson called, live in the moment is a piece of everyday advice. But how many people do you know who actually follow the advice? In today’s world full of distractions, I know only a handful of such people in my personal life. And then one famous sports personality, whom I adore so much in my life. He is like an Inspiration to me. He is a men’s current World No. 1 tennis player, Novak Djokovic who recently won French Open — his 23rd Grand Slam title — a record breaking and the most in the history of tennis.
No one has wrapped their arms and hugged the Grand Slam trophies more than Novak Djokovic in tennis history.
Novak Djokovic is a name that will go down in history as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. The Serbian superstar has achieved what no other male player has ever done: winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in history. He has also been the world No. 1 for a record total of 389 weeks in a record 12 different years, and the year-end world No. 1 a record seven times. He is the only player to win all four majors at least three times, and to hold all four titles at once across three different surfaces. He is the only player to win all nine Masters tournaments, and to do so twice. He has also won six ATP finals titles, including a record four in a row.
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| Novak Djokovic: Holding 2019 Wimbledon Title |
I have been following Djokovic’s career closely since I started watching tennis closely. I’ve witnessed how a small boy from the Balkans turned into the quintessential champion he is today. If you are a die-hard tennis fan like me, you will know what Djokovic did to the mighty Federer at the 2010 and 2011 US Open semifinals, as well as at the 2019 Wimbledon final. Djokovic saved match points to win those matches and, in the instance of Wimbledon, the Championship!
But how did he do it? How did he overcome the challenges, the rivals, the injuries, and the critics to reach such heights of excellence? And what can we learn from his journey that can help us in our own lives?
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is used to be favorite book of Novak. He learned a lot from this. While reading the book, I realized Djokovic uses the wisdom and mental training methods mentioned in the book for his on-court performance.
There are so many things that one can learn from him. He is such gem of sportsperson that everyone wishes to be.
He knows the power of now very well. Djokovic has beat Federer at three major events (2010 and 2011 US Open Semi and 2019 Wimbledon Final) on the basis of his power of now. He had to block out the crowd noise and entirely focus on points in the play to do what he did. Djokovic could not let any negative thoughts affect his service or return at those moments. If you see the highlights of those three matches, you will see how well he executed the points during clutch moments. He has done this countless times in his career. It is only possible because Djokovic is in a constant state of pure consciousness while playing tennis. As result of this he is termed as King of realm.
In an interview with American journalist, Djokovic spoke about how he handles clutch moments by practising mindfulness, for example — meditation and journaling. He mentions taking help from life coaches and spiritual guides in the same video. He said just being happy, joyful and present on the court, consciously focusing on his breathing and getting the best of the experience helps him facing break points and match points and executing them right.
Djokovic has always been highly spiritual. He is reported to visit a Buddhist temple to meditate between matches during Wimbledon every year. He also does yoga and eats a gluten-free, mostly plant-based diet and has written extensively about it in his book, Serve to Win. This is what make him mentally strong person.
It’s rare that a tennis match stops a nation - let alone the entire world - but that’s exactly what happened during the 2012 Australian Open men’s final. The match was between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, and it lasted a jaw-dropping five hours and 53 minutes – the longest Grand Slam final of all time. The entire crowd was behind Nadal throughout the match, but Djokovic came out of it triumphantly. For me this was the best match of Djokovic.
For me, Djokovic’s most impressive win was the 2015 US Open final against Federer. It was played inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, the world’s largest tennis stadium with a capacity of almost 24,000 people. Entire crowd has been cheering for the Federer since he was the favorite for the finals. But here again Djokovic creates the history.
In 2019 Wimbledon Final between the Djokovic and Federe, fans were majorly cheering for Federer. Here also, Djokovic beats Federer in the end after saving two Championship points. In his press conference post-Wimbledon victory, Djokovic said that facing the crowd is part of his mental training. When the crowd chants ‘Roger’, he hears ‘Novak’. This is the kind of stuff that needs to be taught at sports psychology courses.
Unlike Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, those legends of tennis who have enjoyed overwhelming support throughout their careers at virtually every tournament, Djokovic had to summon something from the inside. In the end, it just might make him the better player.
Importantly, Djokovic also brings problem-solving mentality. Most tennis professionals struggle against greats like Nadal and Federer on their favourite surfaces — clay and grass. But Djokovic has beaten Nadal at clay and Federer at grass each four times at French Open and Wimbledon, respectively. The only man to do so. This shows his greatness.
In line of discipline I remember the excerpt from his book trending on social media, where he mentioned that how much he is disciplined, the excerpt is like that,
How much discipline?
In January 2012, I beat Nadal in the finals of the Australian Open. The match lasted five hours and fifty-three minutes—the longest match in Australian Open history, and the longest Grand Slam singles final in the Open Era. Many commentators have called that match the single greatest tennis match of all time. After I won, I sat in the locker room in Melbourne. I wanted one thing: to taste chocolate. I hadn’t tasted it since the summer of 2010. Miljan brought me a candy bar. I broke off one square—one tiny square—and popped it into my mouth, let it melt on my tongue. That was all I would allow myself. That is what it has taken to get to number one.”
In a vacuum, Novak Djokovic might
be viewed as the perfect tennis player.
It is also true to greater extent that, Novak Djokovic doesn’t get the respect he deserves, and for now, he seems to be okay with that. It might be due to that he is not western man. But as soon as one year from today, there could be a major shift in the GOAT debate, and the crowds of Arthur Ashe stadium may find themselves regretting their contempt for a man who has already altered the history of tennis.
Novak Djokovic is a living legend who has broken all records and redefined the standards of excellence in tennis. His career is a testament to his unparalleled talent, unwavering determination, and unrelenting pursuit of excellence. With an impressive collection of Grand Slam titles and a lasting impact on the tennis world, Djokovic has etched his name in the annals of sporting history. By learning from Djokovic’s example, we can also strive to be smarter, faster, better, and happier in whatever we do.
Concluding this dedicated post with beautiful quote of Novak
In the greatest defeats, you learn the greatest lessons
-Novak Djokovic
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