Former World No.2 Alex Corretja has claimed that Novak Djokovic has become a different person after his 2022 Australian Open saga. Speaking to Eurosport, the retired player suggested that the Serb went on a journey of self-discovery and has emerged emotionally stronger. Hence, Corretja thinks Djokovic has become more ‘authentic’ about his personality, endearing him to more fans than before.
Djokovic was unceremoniously deported from Down Under before the 2022 Australian Open. He had initially received permission to participate, despite being unvaccinated, on certain medical exemptions. However, his visa was cancelled and the World No.1 had to return home without playing. He bounced back by winning four of the six Majors he has played since then.
With a record 24 Grand Slams, he has found widespread acceptance as the GOAT of tennis. Despite often being regarded as the least likeable among the Big 3, he has found immense respect and appreciation in the past couple of years.
In an interview with Eurosport, Corretja expressed his belief that the fiasco made Novak Djokovic introspect and think about himself. He said this gave the World No.1 a better idea of how to deal with issues and what people think about him.
“I think what happened to him in Australia led him to a long introspection. He dove within himself and understood who he was. And he just got deep inside his soul, his body, his mind. And from then on, he’s understood and dealt with everything better. He knows the people from outside better, what they think about him. Even the fellow tennis players, which ones were a little more on his side, which ones were not.”
“So I think it’s like it woke up a beast inside him that he had, and he’s now controlling all his emotions much better than before. And I see now that even players or the crowd appreciate him even more than before because he’s authentic, he’s natural, he’s himself, and he’s not trying to go with a mass, saying things to make everyone happy.”
Corretja predicts the toughest opponent for Novak Djokovic in the ATP Finals
In addition to discussing Djokovic’s metamorphosis since the 2022 Australian Open, Corretja shared his opinion on the impending ATP Finals. He is pitted against Jannik Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune in the Green group in Turin. Corretja, rather surprisingly, picked Rune as the most difficult match-up for Djokovic in the round-robin stage.
The duo recently clashed in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters. Rune made Djokovic work hard across three sets for the win. The former’s form has considerably improved after hiring Djokovic’s former coach, Boris Becker. Rune’s head-to-head against the Serb is 2-2.
Corretja said the Dane will draw confidence from having beaten ‘Nole’ twice this year, making it a difficult match-up for the defending ATP Finals champion. He, however, thrives in high-stakes clashes and will be prepared for the challenge, as per the retired player.
Novak Djokovic is pushing for a record seventh title at the year-end championships and Rune, who he picked to be a future Grand Slam winner, will be one of his biggest tests in the round-robin stage.
