Novak Djokovic Had the Sweetest Reason for Taking Time With Younger Players

Djokovic wants to pay it forward.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the net with Corentin Moutet of France after their match on day five at Roland Garros Stadium. / Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Novak Djokovic has already cemented his spot in the history books of tennis.

With 24 grand slam titles, he holds more major trophies than any other man in the history of the sport, and while he’s onto the latter stages of his career at 38 years old, no one would be surprised if he rattled off a few more before he decides to retire.

But while Djokovic is still competing with the best in the world, he also recognizes his role as an elder statesman of the sport. Speaking with media after his win over Cameron Norrie in round four of the French Open, Djokovic opened up about how he tries to make himself available to younger players.

“I always had that attitude [with younger players] because when I was younger I was looking for that from the players that I was looking up to,” Djokovic said. “Some were more daring, or more caring to share, and some not.”

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Djokovic admitted that things can get a bit different in the mentor-mentee relationship when the younger players start reaching the upper echelons of the sport, saying he was “not sharing as much” with the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev once they started teasing the top 10 in the world rankings.

Still, Djokovic wanted to make sure that the wealth of knowledge he’s built over his two decades as a pro carried on to the next generation.

“I tell everyone that I’m available if they need a call about anything, because I feel like that’s what I owe to the game. Not just to them, but to the game of tennis,” Djokovic said. “What’s the value of the knowledge or experience you have if you don’t transfer it to someone who is coming up?”

Djokovic’s win over Norrie was the 100th win at the French Open in his career. He is set to face Zverev in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

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