Novak Djokovic opened up that while his life might seem glamorous and enjoyable from the outside, it's very challenging for him to be away from his family so much.
Tennis players, athletes, or any human beings in general, go through different stages in their lives. Early on in their careers, tennis players enjoy traveling around the world, seeing new places, meeting new people, or, in some cases, partying in new clubs.
They are happy to explore the world and try different things, and they may even enjoy constant travel. Things usually change quite a bit as players age, start their families, and maybe also grow tired of the lifestyle.
Coming to Paris, London, or New York may not be as exciting for the 40th time as it was the first time. On top of that, at the end of the day, it's not about sightseeing but about focusing on the business side of the trip, and that's tennis.
Djokovic has been competing for two decades now. He has seen it all, and he has won it all. He has started his own family and already has two children, son Stefan, who will soon turn 10, and daughter Tara, who is 7 years old.
Therefore, the constant traveling quickly changed from exploring the world to being away from his family for Djokovic. Now, he's in China, competing at the 2024 Shanghai Masters, and it might have seemed like he was enjoying his life in China.
Before competing at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai, where he won his first match against Alex Michelsen, he was seen doing a photo shoot on the Great Wall of China and also attending various sponsor activities.
To people who have never experienced that before, this might seem incredibly attractive and enjoyable, so Djokovic was asked during his press conference in Shanghai how he manages to handle all of these activities while still competing.
"Well, I mean, we all have different, I guess, routines, different life, different commitments. It's hard to compare, but, you know, what works for one maybe doesn't work for another person."
However, very quickly, Djokovic turned the answer into one about his family. He sees the side of these activities that many don't see, and that's the time that he has to spend away from his wife, Jelena, and his children, Stefan and Tara.
"I try to balance things out, and maybe it looks like I am living a perfectly balanced life, but trust me, it's not like that. You know, it's very challenging, and I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can and learn, be the best father, husband I can be, along with a tennis player, and, of course, son and brother as well."
"I miss my family when I'm on the road, and at the same time I love tennis, I really do, and I have support from my closest ones to keep going, to keep playing. So, yeah, it's a constant, in a way, challenge to really, I guess, embrace the present and evolve and grow and learn from experiences that you get to live on a daily basis."
Still, Djokovic is very well aware of his privileged situation and is very thankful for being able to explore the world and provide for his family, even though it sometimes means spending time away from them.
"I'm more than lucky in my life to experience everything that I have experienced, to have all these achievements. And, you know, I'm very grateful to God to give me this opportunity."
"So, I try to remind myself sometimes when I go through difficult times, like everybody else, I have tough days, but you kind of remind yourself of what matters the most, the connections, the relationships with people, trying to be the best version you can be every day. I guess that's kind of the formula."