Novak Djokjovic wants to be like Slyvester Stallone!

Novak Djokovic is away from the tennis grind, courtesy a nasty hamstring tear. That he chose to put out his MRI scan report on social media after the Australian Open was unlike him. It was, obviously, not an attempt to gain publicity or sympathy but make people in Australia aware he was not faking an injury. It is not OK for illiterate fans to say anything about an icon, a legend, like Novak. That the Aussie fans hate him only speaks about their own cheap mindset, perhaps, how, they are still the same breed thrown out of Britain and shipped Down Under!

Imagine, a man wins 10 men’s singles titles at the Australian Open and then faces nonsense. If there is something like atonement, it is coming from Tennis Australia putting up a bust of Novak Djokovic at the tennis complex. To be sure, Novak does not need a bust to prove he is great. That he is the biggest legend has been attested even by one of the most genial champions of his time, Pete Sampras. If you have been to the four Grand Slams – Melbourne, Paris, Wimbledon, suburb of London and New York, each one has its specialty.

The US Open is known as a fans’ Slam while Wimbledon and tradition are happily married to each other for decades. If anything, The Championship will get better in 2025, for that is what they strive for. It is sad, right in Australia during the Australian Open, Novak had a frank chat on what goes into the mental makeup of a champion and how they achieve it. As one who has been a fantastic ambassador for Asics, his shoes brand, his chat was more on how to get mentally tougher.

People know, at 37,  Novak is getting injured often. No, that is not the only problem he has to deal with. When he spoke of how important it is before a big match, how much mental preparation goes in, he was offering a peep into his mind. Sports fans have seen a galaxy of champions across different disciplines from Tiger Woods to Serena Williams and Simone Biles to Novak. It is not about ratings, who among these is the biggest. Biles, for her Olympic records, is phenomenal. Yet, when Novak spoke again on the importance of an Olympic gold in Paris 2024, he was so emotional.

At a time when he is on a forced break and had to miss the Davis Cup as well for Serbia, he is not happy about it. Sporting legends cannot be viewed in isolation, they are humans as well. How they scale the mountains of Himalayan heights is a treatise. So, when Novak spoke of wanting to be like a Sylvester Stallone of “Rocky” fame, he was being honest. At 37, he is still wanting to do more. And that is how it took him such a long time to reach the Olympic gold in Paris. And this, after a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Just look at the longevity, the passion and how he wanted to be there.

He has also spoken of how he preserves himself physically and mentally. It is in his mind and heart he has shown the big difference between being a winner and a champion. Perhaps, once Novak gets done with Melbourne each time and flies out, he will be carrying bitter memories. But those memories alone cannot be his partner. The Australian Open has given him immense joy and 10 titles. For him not to return in 2026 would be sad. For those who do get worried if he will retire in 2025 or at the end of the season, don’t get fooled. He has not signed up with Andy Murray for just one Grand Slam. Yes, getting injured every year is a cause for concern. What more can he do to keep getting stronger, it is not just about a work ethic and hitting the gym. When he returned from the knee injury last year at the French Open and competed in Wimbledon, it was described as a medical marvel.

No, that was his mindset as well, how to bounce back. He did lose the Wimbledon final but to fly back to Paris and win the Olympic gold, it was proof of how much he is putting in as a cerebral player. Yes, Jannik Sinner also has emerged as a tough guy to win almost everything he wants and still be under a doping cloud. His fate will be known in April when the CAS hearing comes up with the WADA pressing for a two-year ban. Nobody can predict what will happen but CAS is a no-nonsense thing.

Back to Novak, see how he wants to scale those mental peaks. To ‘break down’ and win against Carlos Alcaraz was defining in Melbourne. No athlete can prevent injuries, they can only be super fit and ensure they have prepared hard. Perhaps, one facet which Novak has revealed in the chat with a sponsor in Melbourne is how staying happy in the mind and being with the family gives him a boost. Anything which goes into making a champion happy at heart is necessary -- family, friends, spirituality. And some still talk of mental toughness as if it is just one small component which can be fitted in by a doctor or a sports psychologist! No, it’s not. Ask Novak