By Scoop Malinowski | Friday, March 4, 2022

Novak Djokovic exuded determination and delight driving to the tennis summit—and asserts going downhill fast has helped him sustain peak play.

Balance, flexibility and body control helped Djokovic make his mark as the oldest ATP year-end No. 1 in history.

The 34-year-old Serbian has finished as ATP year-end No. 1 a record seven times, surpassing the record of six year-end No. 1 finishes set by his tennis hero Pete Sampras.

More: Steve Flink on Pete Sampras vs. Big 3 and GOAT Debate

Djokovic attributes his body control to one of his passions: skiiing.

"I think skiing has affected the flexibility of my ankles, my joints," Djokovic told Tennis Now in Miami a few years back. "I know a lot of players are forbidden to ski, but I don't have that in my contract. I don't sign a contract that conditions me not to ski.

"Skiing, it kind of runs in my veins. I come from a professional skier's family. My dad used to compete. My uncle, my aunts. For us, it's kind of normal to be on the slopes. I grew up on the mountain."

Facing Djokovic can often feel like trying to scale a slippery slope: traction is tough to come by.

Here's how several players recalled the challenge of facing Novak Djokovic in an excerpt from my new book Facing Novak Djokovic.

Andy Roddick: He beat me like a drum

Andy Roddick on facing Novak Djokovic: “I remember 2012 at the Olympics. I played Novak second round. I was unseeded but had won a couple of weeks before. I’d won two of the last three tournaments I had played in (Atlanta final vs Gilles Muller and Eastbourne vs. Andreas Seppi). So I was feeling great. I felt like Wimbledon was a place where maybe I could catch lightning in a bottle, make a bit of a run. Felt great in practice that week. I beat (Martin) Klizan in the first round (75 64). Went out in second round – and Novak was someone who I’d had a decent record against, to that point (5-3 career head to head before the match). And he… beat… me… like… a DRUM.

"I was like a child on the court. I walked off the court – I lost 2 and 2 on grass (actually 2 and 1). I served average. It’s not a good thing for me to serve average against Novak. I walked off the court and thought: I’m gonna go out tomorrow and feel like I’m playing well. He just beat me like a drum.

"That was one of the first times – US Open was a couple of months later – that’s when I said to myself, This is getting a little bit different than what I had been used to. These guys are kind of from another planet right now. That one kind of hit home for me. The way he was playing in that moment was eye-opening for me.” 

Somdev Devvarman: Novak said to me, Just to let you know, you can win this match

Somdev Devvarman on facing Novak Djokovic: "The best match I played against the top four of Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray was against Rafa in Indian Wells in 2011, fourth round. I played three really good matches before that, I beat Baghdatis, Malisse. So then I played Rafa. Before the match while I was stretching and warming up I remember Novak came up to me and he said, 'Just to let you know, you can win this match, right? I was like, Okay.

"Novak looked at me, 'Also to let you know, he has one of the worst backhands on the Tour.' And Rafa was No. 1 in the world at the time! I played really well in that match. I played more to his backhand. I lost 75 64. I think it shows the mindset of these top guys when they play each other. They see weaknesses and then they let them try to beat them with their weakness. I think when Djokovic goes out to play Rafa, a part of him really believes Rafa has a bad backhand. And he can beat him going to that side. I think that's the point to take away from this."



Reilly Opelka: Novak did a lot of great things for the sport

Reilly Opelka on facing Novak Djokovic: "What’s not complicated for Novak is to stay on the training court for an extra hour in 2008, during the Cincinnati Masters, just to sign all the balls of the children waiting for him. I was one of them. He did a lot of great things for our sport…I think well of him."



Denis Kudla: Novak could be the greatest athlete of all time

Denis Kudla on facing Novak Djokovic: "I think he's the greatest of all time. I think he will surpass all of the records by a lot when all is said and done. He just plays the game so incredibly well. It would have been interesting to see if the ages were a little different, if Fed was the youngest, or Rafa was the youngest.

"I think Novak deserves to be the greatest of all time. He is the greatest of all time. He does things nobody is willing to do. I don't think he's just the greatest of all time in tennis. He could be the greatest athlete of all time."

Scoop Malinowski's book: Facing Novak Djokovic is available on Amazon. Scoop Malinowski has authored 17 books, including Marcelo Rios: The Man We Barely Knew, 80s' Hockey Biofiles, Facing Federer, Facing Guillermo Vilas, Facing Marat Safin, Facing Nadal, Facing Hewitt, Facing Sampras and Facing McEnroe, Facing Serena Williams/Steffi Graf (double book), Heavyweight Armageddon: The Tyson vs Lewis Championship Battle and Muhammad Ali: Portrait of a Champion, and Facing Bob Probert: Portrait of a Hockey Legend, The Book Of Joy: A Symposium and Facing Bjorn Borg.