The desire to reach the mountaintop and stay there is something very few tennis players can resonate with, and Novak Djokovic is one of them.
What was perhaps prophetic in his ambition was an interview he gave while just seven years old in which he stated his goal of becoming the No. 1 player. Djokovic shared a fascinating insight on how he got there while speaking to the ATP Tour Uncovered.
The 36-year-old is commemorating a 397th week at No. 1 at the Paris Masters, where he successfully navigated his way into the quarterfinal. It is the most of any singles player across both tours. He is just three short of the milestone 400 mark, which will likely happen after the ATP Finals.
Djokovic explained that the No. 1 ranking represented half of his dreams (the other half was to win Wimbledon), and he was never satisfied with anything but getting there, not even when he won his first ATP title in Amersfoort in 2006.
He states that becoming No. 1 is all about mindset adding that there is a difference between a top-ranked player to one who is ranked in the Top 10 or with Top 15 ambitions.
"Once you become No. 1 and you build some weeks on that ranking, you are thinking, 'Maybe I can get another week and another week,' next thing you know you are climbing yourself on that ladder of people of who have held the No. 1 ranking for the most weeks."
"If you are planning to be Top 5, Top 10, or Top 15 in the world and you want to reach a certain level of consistency and that's your goal, that is fine. But it's a completely different story if you are aiming to be No. 1 and that interests you. I was never satisfied with anything else but No. 1."
Becoming the No. 1 player and staying there is a tall order as Djokovic put it, saying he prioritizes playing at the biggest tournaments, not because of high prize money offerings or massive viewership, but because they offer the most points and aid him to reach his goal as the best in the sport.
"Being No. 1 in the world has become extremely difficult and high mountaintop to climb because you really need that consistency of results. Of course that has been my greatest goal in the last five years to break that record (most weeks) and managing to do it is deeply fulfilling."
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