Serena Williams’ former coach details ‘toughest match’ for Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic on the importance of routines
A former coach of tennis legend Serena Williams has stated what he believes to be the “toughest match” for fellow icon Novak Djokovic. The Serbian has just finished another dominant year in which he claimed three of the four Grand Slams on offer and reached the final of the other.
Heading into 2024, the 36-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down and maintains the hunger to keep challenging for the biggest titles and win the vast majority of them. Commenting on Djokovic’s unparalleled level of success was Rick Macci, who coached Serena and sister Venus during their youth careers.
He also coached Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati, Andy Roddick, Mary Pierce, Anastasia Myskina and Sofia Kenin who, like the Williams sisters, went on to win Grand Slams. Macci believes the World No. 1’s most challenging opponent is himself and maintaining his level of motivation.
“He doesn’t mind if people are against him. He sort of clicks things in his mind and his mind control is amazing. He is all about the competition,” said the 68-year-old told the Match Point Canada podcast. “Let me think about it, 24 Grand Slams, seven ATP Finals. We could go on and on. The numbers and the money is mind-boggling to keep the motivation up.
“What’s the motivation? Simple: I love to compete and that should be the goal of any coach, to become the best competitor you can be. When you have that success to still wanna go out there and knock you out, it’s not about anything other than what he expects from himself. He knows his toughest match right now is always the guy in the mirror. It’s always himself.”
The Serbian recently won the ATP Fianls for a record seventh time, defeating Jannick Sinner in the final, in front of his home fans in the Italian city of Turin. That title win was the 71st of Djokovic’s career on hard courts, equalling the mark set by Roger Federer.
It’s likely that the ATP’s top-ranked player will claim that record for himself as early as January 2024, when the season commences on his beloved Australian hard courts. A day after clinching another season-ending title, Djokovic took his total tally of weeks at No. 1 to 400 and is the first male or female player to reach that landmark.
“It’s a pretty good achievement, 400 weeks at No. 1. It’s never been done in history. Someone will eventually break it, but hopefully it stays there for a long time,” said Djokovic. “It always has been a huge objective and huge goal of mine to be No. 1 in the world. Other than Grand Slams, that’s what counts the most.
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“To finish off the year as No. 1 in the world at this stage of my life and career is something really amazing. At the beginning of the year, I really wasn’t prioritizing that, I must say. I was prioritizing more Grand Slams. Because of the great results, particularly in Grand Slams, accumulated points, I think I put myself in a very good position to fight for year-end No. 1. This has been one of the best years. I wouldn’t say the best, but one of the best.
“I mean, the fact that I’ve won three out of four slams and played a final in the fourth and it’s still not the best year of my life, it’s quite nice to have that kind of situation.”
Djokovic has one more chance at success this season as he hopes to lead Team Serbia to Davis Cup glory this week in Malaga, Spain. To keep their hopes of winning the prestigious event for the first time since 2010 alive, they must defeat Great Britain in Thursday’s quarter-final tie.
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