Novak Djokovic generated much attention with recent comments about what events he prioritizes, but former player Alize Lim thinks the Serbian’s mindset is understandable.
Djokovic holds the record for the most ATP Masters 1000 titles, 40, and also the record for ATP Finals crowns, seven. That shows his records extend beyond what he has done at Grand Slams.
However, some were shocked when Djokovic indicated he was done with tournaments outside the Grand Slams and representing Serbia. He said this in response to a question about qualifying for the ATP Finals.
Djokovic’s reduced schedule in recent years indicates that what he said is true. Gone are the days when the 37-year-old would play at every Masters-1000 event throughout the season.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has also become more relaxed about playing exhibitions. He used to strictly avoid them to ensure he was in the best possible shape for every period of the season.
Djokovic played an exhibition with his friend Grigor Dimitrov in Sofia, Bulgaria, last week. The exhibition included a hilarious moment when Djokovic and Dimitrov performed a strip tease in front of the laughing fans inside the arena.
Former player and current Eurosport presenter Alize Lim discussed the issue on the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast. She says Djokovic has probably prioritized Grand Slams for a few years and is just being more honest about it.
“No I think it has been like that for a while. It’s just maybe he didn’t express it that much, but deep down I am sure it has been that for a few years and maybe he was almost using those Masters 1000 as like preparations tournaments which is crazy when you think about it. But he has so many records with those.”
Lim feels that Djokovic is following the same path as his great rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Federer, especially, was known for reducing his workload in his 30s and planning his schedule very carefully.
“I mean at his age and his body like he said for two years already, being it’s way more difficult to recover, he has to be smart with his calendar. But it goes the same for Roger, it’s been the same for Rafa and at some point of course they are just chasing Majors. We cannot blame him for that.”
The 34-year-old Frenchwoman also expressed her admiration for Djokovic. She loves that representing Serbia in the Davis Cup is one of his priorities and is grateful that fans can continue to watch him because of his years of hard work.
“We can only thank him to fight so hard for so long to keep playing so we can still enjoy watching him. I love the fact that he still put so much energy into Davis Cup because he loves playing for his country so much and seems like it’s just as important as the Grand Slams for him.”
It is unclear how much longer Djokovic will continue to compete, but he has made his priorities for the rest of his career clear to fans worldwide.
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