Novak Djokovic lauded the impact of the Next Gen stars as a positive motivating factor in his own game.
Djokovic, 36, has faced off and beaten representatives from three different generations in his playing career, the latest being the Next Gen band comprised of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Holger Rune. The three youngsters he predicts will carry the sport in the future.
However, Djokovic is not resting on his laurels and has stayed grounded in this new challenge, which is sprouting right in his final peak and dominance. Last season, four of Novak Djokovic's seven defeats came against players within the Next Gen category or who have just graduated from it.
On two occasions, he lost Sinner, along with losses to Alcaraz, Rune, and Lorenzo Musetti in the first half of the season. Djokovic has been on top of his game for nearly two decades, reigning as World No. 1 for over 400 weeks, a record by a singles player.
He has also amassed 24 Grand Slams in addition to 40 Masters titles. No man can claim to have these numbers. And in 2023, he played in all four Grand Slams, winning thrice. Part of the reason why his dominance is not waning is his adaptability and awareness.
Djokovic fully knows the talent and ambition of some of his new challengers, including Alcaraz and Sinner, but asserts that it had only served as "additional motivation" to achieve even more success, as he explained when he sat for an interview with Jon Wertheim on CBS News.
"I don’t know if that sounds good, to be honest. I think the young guys who are very hungry and very inspired to play their best tennis against me is an additional motivation. I think they kind of awaken a beast in me."
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