 "Novak Djokovic and Andre Agassi, who was part of his team at the time, discuss tactics during the 2017 French Open. Reuters")
Novak Djokovic is among the greatest players in the history of tennis, if not the greatest, having won 24 Grand Slams in a professional career that has spanned more than two decades along with two Olympic medals – including gold in the Paris Games last year. Even more remarkable is the fact that he continues to play the sport at the highest level at the age of 38, going deep in the Majors including the semi-finals of the US Open earlier this month.
American tennis legend Andre Agassi has seen Djokovic from close quarters, having worked with the Serbian superstar as a consultant from May 2017 to March 2018, and shared some insights that might help explain his domination of the sport from the late 2010s to the first half of the current decade.
‘The guy is really smart’
In a chat with Tennis365, Agassi revealed that Djokovic is someone who does not drop his intensity even when he’s relaxing. The 55-year-old also shed light on Djokovic’s “intellectual capacity” – that he is a great thinker off the court while preferring to feel his way through a game on it.
“He is intense about everything, including relaxing! He takes everything very seriously. Even when he chills out, he is determined to make the most of that time. What surprises me most is his intellectual capacity off the court and how little he thinks on the court. You see him off the court and he thinks through everything, but on the court he tends to feel his way through matches,” the eight-time Grand Slam winner said.
“I analysed a lot on the tennis court and felt my way through life off the court. He is the exact opposite. The guy is really smart and it shocks you how much he remembers and the details. If he is looking for information, he reads, studies and takes so much in. It has been fun getting to know him and working out what makes him tick and to help him on his objectives,” he added.
Djokovic is currently chasing a 25th Grand Slam triumph , which will help him surpass Margaret Court as the player with most Majors in tennis history.
Standing in his way, however, are Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the standout players of the current generation who have been dominating the sport for the last two years – with the last eight Grand Slams having been been by either of them.