Visualization is a powerful tool that many athletes employ, including Novak Djokovic, who imagined himself with 25 Grand Slam trophies.
Not too long ago, many believed that Djokovic could win more than Grand Slam trophies, which seemed likely. After some months in 2024, many would argue that 30 or more might have been a bit too optimistic.
He's been outplayed by a couple of players so far, and while discounting him would be foolish, he doesn't look like a player who will dominate regularly in the future. Time will tell because he hasn't really played much this year, but he's certainly not discounting himself.
In a talk with CNN, Djokovic admitted that he visualizes future success, which makes him look forward to it. It's a good approach that has been advocated by many in sports because it can also reduce pressure.
"You take nothing but the win, that’s the mentality. You kind of visualise yourself achieving that already. So I’ve been, you know, really looking forward to it. Of course I’m not the only one that wants to grab that title but I look forward to it."
Djokovic will face a lot of competition for the big trophies this year. He was beaten by Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open, and the Italian and Carlos Alcaraz will both try to dethrone Djokovic in Paris as well. Competing with the younger generations is tough, but the Serbian does enjoy it.
"I like competing with different generations. You have the young guys who are coming up … they’re all incredibly hungry and fit and fast. But I use my adaptability to adjust my tactics and my game to them and understand really what it takes, you know, what it takes to stay at the top and compete with these guys and try to win more titles."