World No.1 Novak Djokovic has revealed why he never won a fifth ATP Finals title since 2015. This is despite the fact that he won four consecutive titles between 2012 and 2014.
Speaking to the press pre-match the ATP Finals in Italy recently, he disclosed that it all has to do with energy levels.
Why Novak Djokovic Never Won ATP Final Since 2015
He explained that he has never made it past the finals and semi-finals because he is usually drained.
“Since 2015, I did not win the title, played one finals, and a couple of semi-finals,” he told the press. “It could be just the amount of energy that you spend during the season that you maybe don’t have enough left in the tank for that final push.”
Being the last tournament of the year, it stretches the body’s spirit to handle the pressure coming with the tournament.
Novak Djokovic ATP Finals. Photo/ Sky Sports
Djokovic Great Start in 2021 ATP Finals
Djokovic kicked off the ATP Finals with a first match win against Norwegian player Casper Ruud. He beat Rudd 7-4, 6-2 to sail through past the opening match.
He will then battle it out with Russian player Andrey Rublev his ‘Center Court’ group on Wednesday. However, this year’s finals are star-studded with the best in the tennis world. Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev are lined up for mathches.
The tournament ends on November 21.
Djokovic Winning Paris Masters
Djokovic recently lifted the Paris Master title after flooring Daniil Medvedev. Intriguingly, the Serbian trained with Medvedev ahead of the Paris Masters clash, taking many by surprise.
Since their debacle in New York last month, Djokovic has stayed off the court. He was a no-show in the Indian Wells tournament. He withdrew from the tournament.
The four-time Grand Slam winner projected a lot of respect for Medvedev who denied him a fifth Grand Slam title. Didier Deschamps, France’s World Cup-winning head coach joined the duo after practice and posed for a photo with them.
Why Won’t Djokovic Retire Yet?
In addition, the 20-time Grand Slam winner says he is not considering retiring. Djokovic will not give up on tennis upon retiring; he is considering becoming a coach.
Speaking recently at the Paris Masters Success, the 20-time Grand Slam champion said he has a lot to offer.
Djokovic opined that he possesses a lot of knowledge about tennis including approach and methodology. He says these nuggets of wisdom will come in handy after retiring.
Novak Djokovic Coaching Ambition
In response to coaching ambitions, he told Tennis Majors that, “Yes, I see myself as a coach in the future.”
He says that he has a lot of love for the game and he can only live with it if he passes the knowledge and skills to others.
For Djokovic, he says he does not only love the sport when he is winning but also when he sees his kids on the court.
Better still, his passion for the racket abounds every time he watches the game on TV. At his Novak Tennis Centre, he feels challenged to continue nurturing talents and is very committed to taking up coaching in a few years.
Djokovic views his knowledge on the court as a “curse” if he does not make its full use. And there is no better to make use of it other than through tennis.
“Knowledge can be a curse if you do not use it, what is the point then?
“I mean, sure, I benefit from it, but what am I going to do with it afterwards – to take it with me to the grave, to say ’yes, I was the best? No, I want others to have information about my career, my philosophy, approach, methodology of work etc.”
Handling Negativity
On top of the lessons, Djokovic has learnt in tennis is how to handle negative energy. Criticism always accompanies fame and ‘soft hearts’ lose themselves to critics.
For instance, as soon as Djokovic clinched another year-end No.1 in ATP ranking after beating Medvedev in Paris Masters, criticism opened. But, he moved on unbothered training his focus on the end year ATP Final in Italy.
Former world No 1 Justine Henin praised him saying that he is exceptionally unique. Henin was thrilled by Djokovic’s seventh successful ATP run meaning he has spent 346 weeks topping ATP charts.
Novak Djokovic. Photo /Elise Amendola
The tennis player retorted this is reason enough for people to appreciate and recognize Djokovic for his outstanding performance.
Speaking to Eurosport, she said it was impressive seeing Djokovic bounce back in Paris and flooring Medvedev after a bruising U.S Open in September.
“He is totally unique. I think it’s really about time – even though there are a lot of people who obviously respect his huge career – that people realise what he is achieving.”
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