Novak Djokovic is one of the best tennis players in history, but he's also one of the most emotional, showing his emotions on the court quite often.
The Serbian superstar had a rocky path to the top of the ATP Tour, one which saw him battle rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer for nearly two decades. And if there was ever one thing that made him different than the two, it was his emotions.
Despite being known for quite a few outbursts early in his career, Federer built an image of a gentleman, while Nadal never broke a racket in his life. On the other hand, Djokovic was never afraid to show emotions.
Women's world no. 1, Iga Swiatek, recently explained that she doesn't control herself in those moments, and the same may apply to Djokovic, who may just need to release tension every now and then, something that proved to work perfectly for him.
Recently, the 24-time Grand Slam champion sat down with Jon Wertheim for an interview with CBS News 60 Minutes. Among other things, he spoke also about his outbursts, which, as he admits, he's not proud of.
"Well, look, you know, I, I have broken rackets in my (laugh) life, you know. No doubt about it. And I'm not proud about that. And I'm ashamed of myself when I do that, no doubt. But at the same time, you know, I accept myself as a flawed human being."
Djokovic even said that he was "ashamed" when he breaks rackets, and while many fans will probably never understand that, the Serbian knows that even that is important for him as a player.
Everyone is different, and Djokovic may be more emotional than others. Still, the most important thing is that he knows he's not at his best when he breaks rackets, and even though it may be too late to work on it, it seemed to have worked quite well for him.
In the end, you don't win 24 majors and hold the world no. 1 spot for over 400 weeks by a chance, and he's done that, and much more.
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