Novak Djokovic is no stranger to breaking records and making history in the world of tennis and on Monday, he did it once again.
Earlier this week, he surpassed Steffi Graf to become the longest-reigning world No.1 in history after spending 378 weeks in the top spot. However, despite this achievement, Djokovic is not solely focused on extending his record-breaking streak.
In a recent interview, Djokovic stated that his top priorities right now are staying healthy and prolonging his career to continue playing at the highest level. He also emphasized his desire to win more Grand Slam titles, which he considers to be the ultimate achievement in tennis.
“When I achieved the world No. 1 for the first time, in 2011, I had to set up new goals, new dreams. Being No. 1 was always the ultimate goal. That is the ultimate achievement in tennis, without a doubt."
This shift in priorities reflects the evolution of Djokovic's career goals. While becoming world No.1 was once the ultimate goal, he now recognizes that there are more important things to focus on as he enters the later stages of his career. Djokovic credits his consistency and relatively injury-free career for allowing him to accumulate a lot of points and maintain his position at the top of the rankings.
"I always tried to stay as long as I possibly can on that spot. I think the consistency of playing well, staying relatively healthy throughout my career and not facing too many big injuries has allowed me to have the consistency to accumulate a lot of points.”
However, Djokovic's desire to win more Grand Slam titles is still a major driving force for him. He understands that if he continues to play his best tennis and achieve good results, the world No.1 ranking will come as a consequence. But for him, the priority is on winning Grand Slams and cementing his legacy as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
“I’m 36 this year, so I just don’t think at the moment this is the highest priority. I would like to stay healthy and prolong my career as much as I can to play at this highest level. That’s the one priority. The other priority is playing the best tennis in Grand Slams and trying to win more Grand Slams. Then if the No. 1 ranking in the world comes as a consequence of good results, I’ll be very happy.”
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