In a conversation with Serbian media after his Paris Masters triumph, Novak Djokovic was asked if he could see himself coaching Daniil Medvedev when the Russian is in his 30s.
In response, the Serb joked that he would not have much coaching to do in the first place as the Russian “is one of the best players in the world.” Djokovic went on to reveal that he expects Medvedev to dominate the sport for “years to come”.
Medvedev has steadily become Djokovic’s biggest rival in recent years, having taken over the mantle from Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. In addition to beating the Serb in the US Open final, the World No. 2 also accounted for Djokovic in last year’s ATP Finals and a couple of Masters 1000 events in 2019.
Over the past couple of seasons, the Russian has also firmly cemented himself as the best hardcourter on tour alongside Djokovic, which is probably what prompted the Serb to assert that Medvedev would not need much coaching.
The World No. 1 further stressed that he loves tennis to the core in all its forms, not just when he is playing and winning. While Djokovic is not yet a licensed coach, he guides young players at his tennis academy in Belgrade from time to time - a fact he highlighted in his response.
Djokovic explained that he does not like the idea of letting knowledge go to waste. The 20-time Major champion asserted that he wants other players to gain an understanding of his methods, philosophy, and approach so that they too can forge a successful career.
Djokovic revealed that one of his philosophies is to “pass on everything” that he has learned, which is why he loves the idea of becoming a coach.
“I do not feel any pressure from anybody to keep on playing” - Novak Djokovic
During the interaction with the press, Novak Djokovic also revealed how he plans to celebrate his sixth Paris Masters triumph. The Serb said he would enjoy some cake and music with his family.
Djokovic believes that it is imperative for a tennis player to keep shifting their focus to the next challenge, which for him will be the ATP Finals in Turin.
Interestingly, the Serb asserted that he would not give too much thought to the records he broke at the Paris Masters, explaining how he prefers to leave that task to those keenly following the sport.
Djokovic said he does not plan to give himself too much of a breather following his Paris triumph, highlighting how he plays tennis by choice and not compulsion.
0 votes
