Novak Djokovic: "This is an insult to my maturity"
Novak Djokovic gave an emotional interview about his comeback and his life outside of the tennis court. The Serb revealed that he no longer believed in a successful return to the ATP tour and explained what bothered him about the speculations about his team.
by Lukas Zahrer
last edit: May 11, 2019, 01:48 pm
“When something happens in one life, people immediately look for the problem in the other. With Pepe (Imaz, note). Anyone. But that was not the case with me. It hurts me to think that way. Because this suspicion of dependence is an insult to my maturity and my intelligence, ”said Djokovic in an interview with L'Equipe.
After winning the French Open 2016, Djokovic slipped to a sporting low. After an elbow injury, he had to pause for six months and initially struggled to maintain his shape. "I was only number 22 in the ranking and thought: You will never come back!" Said Djokovic. “People think we're robots. But we are not, we are human beings like everyone else. "
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Novak Djokovic: "I am a pacifist"
Djokovic is considered a player on the tour who experiments a lot to gain slight advantages over the competition. For example, he relies on a healthy diet, even if he made it clear: "I am not vegan and I do not eat gluten-free. I try to eat consciously, being careful what I put in my body. But the vegan society has become too aggressive for me. "
The 31-year-old sees a general problem in society when it comes to nutrition: “I don't like it when you judge someone by whether they eat this or that. I also don't like it when people are pigeonholed: he's an athlete, the other journalist. ”
Djokovic on outbursts of anger: "I play to grow"
Djokovic describes himself as a person who always wants to represent his homeland Serbia well. "But I don't want to limit myself to my country. I don't just want to love my home and hate everyone else. I am a pacifist. One who wants to hug the whole world, ”he said.
The 15-time Grand Slam champion also mentioned that this world is not always a good one for Djokovic. “Tennis is my biggest ally as well as my biggest enemy. No, let me rephrase that: I experience the highs and lows of my character on the tennis court, ”he said.
And further: “Sometimes I lose control, I scream, I smash my racket. But I also live out the positive emotions there. I don't play for money. I play to grow. "