He is On his way straight back to the top: At the World Tennis League in Dubai the 21-times Grand Slam Champion talked about the inaugural edition of the tournament in the Middle East, his outlook to the Australian Open and his key to success…
How did you experience your first participation at the World Tennis League?
It’s been probably the most fun three, four days in row that I’ve had. And I’ve had a long career – but this is as good as it get’s playing some good tennis against the best players in the world and having fun. Having teammates, best players in the men’s and women’s courtside, you are sharing a bench with them, talking trash all the time and it’s just so much fun.
“It’s been probably the most fun three, four days in row that I’ve had. And I’ve had a long career – but this is as good as it get’s playing some good tennis against the best players in the world and having fun.”
Novak Djokovic
How is you pre-season going and how relieved are you, that you know, you will go to Australia?
I’m just glad to have a chance to start there. My record has been pretty decent over the years in Australia, so I look forward going there. I have been in Dubai for quite some time and it is a fantastic place for tennis players’ pre-season on the way to Australia. Having an event like this, a concept like this, which you normally don’t get to experience, is something very nice. I think, it brings a lot of positive energy and encouragement for all of our individual careers. It allows us also to get to know each other on and of the court a bit more, which is fun.
What do you think, is the key to being a successful tennis player?
I don’t think, there is one formular or one secret recepie. There are a lot of things that have to come together. It’s a team, it’s your skills, it’s your dedication to the sport – not just for a month or two but for an entire year. It’s a demanding sport. You’ve gotta change a lot of surfaces, timezones, which puts a lot of weight on your body, and you’ve got to handle that. So I think, figuring things out, what works for you individually, is probably the key. Everyone has a different formular, so it’s hard to pic one thing. If I had to, it would probably be the passion for the game.
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