PARIS – Failing to win gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games left Novak Djokovic devastated and broken: “He was completely destroyed”.
An incomparable pressure was what Djokovic could not withstand. The great reason that led to the Serb’s Olympic tragedy in August 2021 according to one of the people who knows him best. Victor Troicki, captain of Serbia’s Olympic and Davis Cup team, revealed in this interview with CLAY the effects of one of the former world number one’s greatest pains.
“Physically and mentally, Novak was destroyed. Physically he couldn’t (do) anymore. Emotionally he got killed after the match with (Alexander) Zverev,” the former Serbian tennis player said at Roland Garros, where Paris 2024 tennis is being contested.
So damaging were the consequences, that later the Serb abandoned his mixed doubles partner Nina Stojanović and did not show up to play for a medal in the final day of competition. “Of course she was disappointed (…) playing the mixed was a mistake from which Novak learned; in Paris 2024 he is another player and is looking to make history”, Troicki said.
Interview with Viktor Troicki
– How big is the challenge to sit in Novak Djokovic’s box?
– It’s my second Olympic Games as a coach after Tokyo. My fourth year as a captain of Serbia, also in the Davis Cup. Throughout these years, I’ve been getting experience being on the bench of Novak, the best player in the history of this game. It’s not easy. People think it’s easy to coach him because he’s the best and he plays and he wins. No. He’s demanding the highest possible concentration, focus, all the little details. You need to be in the focus all the time when he’s on the court, preparing for the matches. Makes me feel pround to be alongside him and help him to achieve history as much as I can.
– You are great friends, you know him well. How much that helps?
– I’ve known him all my life and he’s always been a perfectionist. That’s why he ended up being the biggest ever in the sport probably. Everything what he he does for tennis, it’s not just being on the court. Everything also, when he now ends the practice, he’s being 100% committed and 100% doing everything to get better and to get ready for whatever the next match is, whatever the next goal is. And that’s why he’s so strong mentally and prepared so well. He has huge expectations. He was really close in Tokyo, you know, making it to the final stages and probably going for the gold, but it didn’t happen in the end.
– What is different now?
– I don’t think this time he feels such big pressure like he did in Tokyo.
– He was chasing not only the gold medal, but also the Golden Slam after winning in Australia, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Pressure was brutal, wasn’t it?
– In Tokyo it was, yes. Here it’s different because during all this year, and also last year, he was talking about Olympics, and that the gold medal was his biggest goal. He’s not spoken about being number one, winning more and more Grand Slams. He’s been talking about Olympics. And he’s a different player here. He’s really motivated and you can see the difference on the court now. Two months ago when he played the French Open he was not as hungry, as motivated as he is now. And that is the difference.
– What did he learn from his failure in Tokyo?
– It was a huge experience for him, you know, 6-1, 2-1 with the break, against Zverev in the semifinals. Everything going well, everything. But he’s also a human. Zverev started playing better. He started feeling a little bit of pressure and at the end it cost him the match. He won so many big titles, but this was the first time he felt the goal was there, so close. I think here in Paris he’s more relaxed, more focused on the things he needs to do. He also made a mistake playing mixed doubles. I think he also lost energy playing mixed doubles for no reason. It was extremely hot there and here he’s only focused on the singles title and he’s doing everything to accomplish it. Here he has family with him, kids are with him. So I think he feels better here mentally and that is the most important thing for him at this moment.
– No one on the Serbian team wanted him to play in the mixed doubles, included you.
– Well that’s one of the many mistakes he learned from. He’s like this. He’s stubborn sometimes. Even if everyone tells him you shouldn’t play, if he thinks he should play, he will do it. And will try to prove everyone wrong. And he was close. He was close.
– At the end he had the chance to win a medal, but decided to retire in the last mixed doubles match and leave bronze go away.
– He was destroyed. Completely. Physically and mentally. But more physically he could not anymore. It was really hot there. Even for bronze… Well, for singles bronze. He was completely out and off against Carreño Busta. Emotionally he was killed after the match with Zverev. It happens in sport. Everything is possible. He’s a human also. But what he did throughout the career, he is definitely different.
– And what was your reaction when he told you that he wasn’t going to try to win a medal for Serbia?
– Highly understood, of course.
– How about Nina Stojanović, his doubles partner?
– Well, it’s history, I mean… We cannot change anything. Of course she was disappointed but I didn’t see her much. I was there with the guys, not with the girls. I understand completely and this is part of the game sometimes. It’s tough.
– Did Djokovic explained directly to her his desision?
– I’m not sure about the details. I think they spoke, but I don’t know the details.
– Another change he did was not staying in the Olympic Village.
– He did not stay in the Tokyo Village either. He didn’t stay in the Village at once. He comes to visit the other athletes, he will go today, but he’s never slept in the village.
– What will change inside Novak Djokovic if he finally gets the gold?
– He doesn’t have anything to prove anymore. He’s done it all. In tennis we all know the peak of the mountain are Grand Slams. Being number one. That’s something in tennis, like what the World Cup or the Champions League is in football. For tennis we can talk about that Olympics it’s honour, it’s biggest sporting event for sure. But definitely people remember more the Grand Slams winners than gold medalist in Olympics. In other sports it’s different. So for me, even if he wins or he doesn’t, he will still be the best ever. If he proves it, okay, of course he will accomplish his dream and definitely by being a gold medalist he would get another relief, I guess.
– Do you guys talk about the golden dream?
– No, we’re not talking about it. We go match by match. And this is why I’m not saying anything about winning the gold, at the moment we’re going step by step. He’s focused on tomorrow’s opponent. That’s the most important. This is how it should be and we’ll see how it ends up.
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