Novak Djokovic cruised his way through the first round of the US Open. He defeated his American challenger, Learner Tien, 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2. Tien challenged the World’s No. 7 in the second set, but Djokovic otherwise made light work of the American. The 24-time Major winner recently sat down and pulled back the curtain on his upbringing and personal life.
Novak Djokovic Opens Up On His Mental Struggles and Showing Weakness
Djokovic has done it all in the sport as a four-time US Open Champion. The former World’s No. 1 has proven himself time and time again, continuing to play at a high level even at the age of 38. Having been a professional for over 20 years now, the Serbian player spoke about his upbringing and his view on mental health in men’s sports.
“In men’s professional sports there’s no room for vulnerability,” Djokovic said. “That shows weakness and weakness exploits you. When something exploits you, you’re vulnerable to lose that match or game, whatever it is. That’s the narrative. When you’re crying, you’re often regarded as a very weak man.”
He continued, “I’ve had the same view for a very long time, but I changed that maybe 10 years ago. In my upbringing there was no room for emotions. I think it comes from my home where I didn’t have that relationship with my father especially. I had to not cry and be tough, I kind of enclosed myself to the point where I wasn’t able to express myself emotionally.”
Djokovic then spoke about his relationship with his now-wife, Jelena. The two began dating in 2005, and he revealed he wasn’t quite sure how to express his feelings. Thankfully, things worked out in the end, and Djokovic has a newfound understanding and opinion on the topic. Together, they got married in 2014.
Professional athletes like Simone Biles have long called for mental health to be more prominent in sports. At the end of the day, athletes are human, too. While Djokovic may have been raised a certain way, he quickly realized that wasn’t a life he was going to be able to sustain. In the end, things worked out quite well for him.
His interview on the “Jay Shetty Podcast” discussed many different avenues of the athlete’s mindset and outlook on not just the game but life as well. The World’s No. 7 sat down with Shetty for just over two hours as he prepares for his second-round match against American Zachary Svajda. An upset would cause chaos in the US Open, which hasn’t seen a men’s American champion since 2003.
