In a recent interview with Eurosport, Novak Djokovic discussed what motivates him at this stage of his career. He said staying away from his family on tour is painful so he tries hard to win and make that time apart worth it. This is the Serb’s main motivating factor but he also mentioned that his coach, Goran Ivanisevic, and his team do their bit too.
Djokovic had an incredible 2023, winning three Grand Slams. Throughout the season, he has been selective about tournaments and has skipped many events. The last time he played before the Paris Masters was in mid-September, a singular Davis Cup fixture. He enjoyed a well-deserved break with his family.
Despite spending six weeks away from the court, he has returned with no rust. The World No.1 has reached the semi-finals in Paris and has his eye on yet another title.
Djokovic was asked if his coach had any special ways to keep a superstar like him motivated to win more trophies. He agreed that he needs extra motivation now than he needed some years ago, saying his life has changed significantly since then.
“I have just been blessed with obviously a very successful tennis career but he’s right, you know. I need even more extra motivation nowadays at this, later stage of my career than maybe what I needed five years ago or 10 years ago. Things are different, you know. My life is evolving, it’s moving forward.”
He admitted leaving his young children makes him sad every time he travels for competitions. Djokovic said he has to suppress such emotions to focus on the tournament and as a result, has become highly selective. He revealed he is driven to make the time away from his family worth it, drawing motivation from this to keep winning.
“I have two children that are nine and six years old. Every time I leave them, it breaks my heart and these are the kind of feelings that I have to deal with and swallow when I travel. So when I travel and choose to play somewhere, I really want to win. I want to go all the way and I want to make that travel worth it.”
Djokovic’s passion combined with the motivation to win titles for his family has worked wonders for him. Even at 36, he continues to dominate tennis and motor on unmatched. His support staff has played a huge role in keeping his reign going, something which Djokovic did not fail to acknowledge.
Novak Djokovic says coach Goran Ivanisevic motivates him and makes travelling ‘easier’
When asked what Ivanisevic and his other team members do to motivate him, Djokovic joked they tried many things but to no avail. He clarified that they are ‘great friends’ and have fun while also maintaining their professional boundaries.
“So yeah, Goran and the rest of the team members try and find different ways to motivate me. They haven’t been succeeding so far so much but they’re trying. No, I’m kidding, of course, we have a lot of fun, we are great friends. Also of course we have a professional relationship but I really love Goran as a person.”
Novak Djokovic said his Croatian coach was one of the players he idolised as a kid and he loves having him around. The Serb revealed that since Ivanisevic hailed from a bordering country and spoke the same language, it made travelling easier.
“He has been one of the players that I looked up to when I was growing up. We come from neighbouring countries so we speak the same language, it makes things easier on the road.”
Djokovic faces Andrey Rublev in the semifinals of the Paris Masters. He is chasing a record seventh title and driven by his aforementioned motivation, he is a strong favourite to do so.
