Novak Djokovic took a trip down memory lane at a Head tennis event in Monaco, as he opened the door to a unique opportunity to go into business with his latest tennis rival Jannik Sinner.
The world No 1 gave up plenty of time on the day before his first match at the Monte-Carlo Masters to fulfil a commitment to his racket manufacturer that has been a crucial part of his success throughout his career.
In a presentation broadcast live on Instagram, Djokovic went on a lengthy journey looking back over all the rackets that have brought him the most success, with Roger Federer’s former coach Ivan Ljubicic hosting the event in front of an invited audience.
Djokovic spoke at length about his journey with Head and understanding racket technology, with the changes that have helped to maintain his success explained as he spoke with Ljubicic.
He also spoke about the prospect of what he could do when his tennis story is finished and that is when he came up with the novel idea of going into business with Sinner.
Head are as famous for making ski equipment as they are producing tennis rackets and when Djokovic looked forward to what might come next in his partnership with the sports good giant, he offered up this suggestion.
“In the years to come, I’m really looking forward to getting on the ski slopes,” said Djokovic, who spent some time skiing with his family following his defeat against Sinner in the Australian Open in January.
“Head is also huge in the winter sports and I’m a big fan of skiing. Jannik Sinner is also big (into skiing) so maybe we could do something together one day with Head, who knows. I’m always open to some crazy things.
“It is those types of activities when I step out of my comfort zone that bring excitement and joy, but also bring in new fans.”
Sinner is a big skiing fan and needed to make a decision on whether he would commit his sporting future to tennis or the slopes when he was a young man, with his recent success on court suggesting he made the right choice.
Sinner is also enjoying his success using a Head racket, with the Italian likely to become their leading male tennis player when Djokovic hangs up his racket for the final time.
If he enjoys as much success with Head rackets as Djokovic, it will be a very successful partnership and it is clear that the current world No 1 and 24-time Grand Slam winner is grateful to the company that gave him the rackets to become a legend.
“Since 2009 until today, this has been an incredibly successful journey,” stated Djokovic, looking back on his relationship with Head.
“It’s very challenging for a tennis player to find a racket that he feels comfortable with that serves the purpose and once you find it, you don’t want to get rid of it.
“The Head team innovate and every two years there have to be some changes and improvements.”
He ended the event with a hint that he wants to play for a little longer than some observers have been expecting as he said of his new Head Speed Legend racket: “Hopefully I have two more years to use it!”
The event was attended by Djokovic’s wife Jelena and their two children, with some eyebrows likely to be raised by the decision to stage the event the day before Djokovic plays his first match at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Spending this much time at an event with a sponsor was an unusual pre-tournament plan, but Djokovic did something similar shortly before Wimbledon at an ASICS event attended by Tennis365 last summer.
What is increasingly evident is Djokovic is determined to have his wife and two children with him as often as possible in this final phase of his career and their presence in Monte-Carlo could inpsire him to play at his best as he chases his first title at the tournament since 2015.
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