Novak Djokovic tries to maintain a winning mentality during matches and training, which can come with issues when sharing practice areas at Wimbledon with competitors and the press.
Djokovic has demonstrated his extreme focus at Wimbledon already this season as the Serbian continues his quest to retain the Grand Slam title. The 36-year-old has dropped just two sets on his way to the semi-final and had to bounce back from a set down to defeat Andrey Rublev in the quarter-final.
However, despite his game sometimes appearing seamless on court Djokovic said practice sessions aren't always easy due to sharing the area with other players. After he beat Hubert Hurkacz in the fourth round, Djokovic shared his frustrations of having to train at the same time as top seed Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon's practice area, Aorangi Park.
"Well, the circumstances are such that we don’t have much privacy, although sometimes I would love more privacy because it would allow me to maybe try out certain things and to communicate clearly with my team."
"It is a fact that you’re not fully relaxed in practice. You are aware that your rivals are around, that everybody is looking over their shoulders to see what’s going on, what are you working on. Every shot is being analysed, measured, evaluated, so it can influence the next meeting with Alcaraz or whomever."
To maintain his elite level, it is unsurprising that the 23-time Grand Slam champion desires a certain environment in which to prepare. In addition, the seven-time Wimbledon champion said that he approaches training time with the same focus and dedication as he would in a match situation.
“Same intensity, yes. Sometimes maybe the atmosphere is a bit more relaxed if I’m feeling good and hitting the ball well, but other times it’s more tense if I am not. The point is that you don’t want to give the impression to your rivals if you’re not doing well and that you’re nervous. We are all very focused.”
0 Comments