Djokovic Happy Opponents Feel He's 'Invincible' As He Gains 'Mental Advantage'

| by Evita Mueller

Sometimes, some people seem larger than in real life, and Novak Djokovic is there in tennis terms because he's winning most of his matches before stepping onto the court.

If you're a professional tennis player today, you really don't want to face Novak Djokovic on a tennis court. Not only is it going to be the most miserable 1-2 hours of your life, but it will also be pretty impossible to win. He's played 52 matches this year and lost only 5 of them, which is about what he loses per year.

It's been a few years since he lost more than 10 times, and if he does lose, it's generally against very good players. There is a limited amount of very good players, so there is a certain reputation there. You need to play amazingly to beat him, and very few players are able to find that level when standing opposite of him.

Losing in the locker room has been a widely discussed sports thing, and it's true. At one point, players like Djokovic become so intimidating that you lose before you even start to play. It's pretty sweet if you're said player.

No one is invincible, but I am glad that there is this aura around me, that people think I am invincible and that the players feel it on the court. That's very important to me. I want them to feel that because it puts me at a mental advantage over them.

Djokovic on being intimidating to face

That mental advantage is pretty powerful and it's easy to demonstrate. Take his matchup against Gael Monfils who was never considered a mental powerhouse like Djokovic. He's leading 19-0 which is one of the most lopsided H2H in tennis ever.

It's not a question about talent because Monfils has beaten Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal before, but he simply can't figure it out against Djokovic, though he was close a few times. It's hard to feel confident when you're faced with that.

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