Former ATP player Michael Chang recently spoke about Novak Djokovic, and he heaped a lot of praise on the Serbian and everything he's accomplished.
Former players have always appreciated Djokovic consistently and for many years. While tennis fans were skeptical for a long time, and some never came around, former players always firmly supported the Serbian legend as one of the best.
It comes from simply understanding what it takes to become great. Even players who never reach those heights know how hard they had to work. If they failed, it meant that somebody worked even harder, and it's a very humbling thought.
At his peak, Chang was a successful tennis player, winning a Grand Slam and making three more finals. He's always spoken fondly about this new generation of players without animosity.
Some former players pit themselves against them. Chang never antagonized the players; he simply enjoyed watching them play. He was particularly impressed with Djokovic and his career trajectory because it is truly amazing.
In the most recent episode of the Australian Open's 'The Sit-Down' podcast, Chang gushed over Djokovic's latest achievement, which was winning the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris over Carlos Alcaraz.
The 52-year-old even joked that Serbian would never stop playing, because why should he if he keeps winning? He just had a historic run that nobody saw coming outside of him. He believed, and he delivered.
"I'm not sure Novak's going to stop yet, actually. Actually I don't think he's going to ever stop. What he's done is just absolutely incredible."
Chang knows Djokovic very well, having watched him closely while working with Kei Nishikori. Besides the 37-year-old being a brilliant tennis player, Chang is fascinated by the way Djokovic motivates himself.
The kind of summer he had would have left many players totally discouraged about their chances at the Olympics, but he took on those challenges head-on. Even when he suffered a big setback by easily losing the Wimbledon final, Djokovic never strayed from his plan and simply kept pushing.
That just boggled Chang's mind, who simply didn't have any words to explain what had happened. To undergo surgery in Paris, then return in record time at Wimbledon, and then win the Olympics against the best player in the world, playing in superb form was something that Chang had no words for.
"At the same time, what Novak is doing, and what he has done, is mind-boggling. Absolutely mind-boggling, Even these past few months. For him to play at the French, get surgery immediately after his last match there, and then to go and to play and get to the finals of Wimbledon is one thing."
"But then to come back and beat Alcaraz, on clay, at the Olympics, at Roland Garros, I mean, I have no words for it. It's just incredible, and he's doing it at 37 years old. It's just phenomenal."
Djokovic's next stop is the US Open, and if he wins the last major of the season, he will become the first player in history to win 25 Grand Slam titles.
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