Ana Ivanovic admitted what particularly fascinates her while watching the successes of Novak Djokovic.
While Novak Djokovic dominates world tennis and sets records year after year with no intention of stopping, many remain amazed – how does he manage to stay on top for so long? Among those who do not understand this is Ana Ivanovic, former Serbian tennis player, Roland Garros champion and at one time the best player in the world. As Nolet’s peer, who started her career in the same period, she was forced to retire in December 2016 after injury problems. And, Novak is still invincible at the age of 37 and everyone is eagerly awaiting his next season, which of course he welcomes as the number one on the ATP list.
Did she think at the age of 18 that Novak would last this long? “Honestly, we didn’t think it would last that long. What’s really fascinating to me is how he manages to keep his body fit and healthy. It’s a hard sport, it has a big impact on the body, we can see it from Roger and Rafa. I remember Rafa telling me in 2008, ‘I don’t know how long I will last’, and here is Novak, fighting. The fact that Novak is so strong and healthy is really fascinating to me, kudos to him for that,” said Ana Ivanovic while guesting on the “ALESTO” podcast with journalist Aleksandar Stojanović.
When asked if Novak has changed, in the sense that he now shows his emotions completely openly, Ana said that it was part of his maturation both as a person and as a tennis player. “Definitely, we all mature and age brings its own experiences. He has definitely changed. And he is somehow a man, he is no longer a child and what we were when we were 18 years old. I think we are all constantly changing,” said Ana .
Did she have fun at the US Open, when he “hung up” on Ben Shelton? “Honestly, everyone looks at it differently. Sometimes I don’t have time to watch everything that’s going on. Honestly, when Ben first did it, I was like, ‘OK, that’s teenage, American, cute,’ and I thought it was funny too after Novak also did it. I don’t know, opinions are divided,” said Ana diplomatically.
Novak finished a memorable season with a masterful performance at the Final Masters in Turin, and until the end of it, he will perform at the final tournament of the Davis Cup in Malaga, which takes place this week. After that, he goes on a well-deserved rest and short preparations for new challenges – in Australia at the beginning of 2024.
