"He's walking onto the practice court already sweating": Mark Philippoussis was left mind blown by work ethic of Novak Djokovic at US Open
ATP
Former Australian player and now tennis coach Mark
Philippoussis has revealed the work ethic behind the success of the current
world number one Novak Djokovic.
The 36-year-old is often regarded as the greatest player in
the history of men’s singles tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 24
Grand Slam titles.
Philippoussis was recently quoted in a report where he
revealed that the work ethic followed by Djokovic which according to him is a
primary reason for his success over a long period of time.
"As incredibly professional as you've seen Rafa (Nadal)
be or (Roger) Federer, where they're competing and making sure that they're
going into Grand Slams mentally and physically the fittest, Djokovic (has)
taken that to a level and it's just amazing,” he said.
"He was incredible to watch at the US Open. If he's got
a practice court at one o'clock, he's in the gym by 11 o'clock. He's walking
onto the practice court already sweating. He finishes his training, he's into
his drinks and his eating and everything is exactly in place where it needs to
be.
"I haven't seen a professional like that. There's been
a lot of amazing professionals but I've never seen the degree that Djokovic
does it.”
The 46-year-old further went on to back the Serbian tennis
legend to win the first Grand Slam in 2024 as well.
"He's without a doubt the favourite going into the
Australian Open,” said Philippoussis. “And I don't see him slowing down
soon."
The Belgrade-born has recently clinched his 24th
major title after beating the current world number three Russia’s Daniil
Medvedev in the final of the US Open with a score of 6-2, 7-6, 6-3.
Djokovic’s most successful competition has been the
Australian Open where he has lifted the title 10 times. It is also a record in
the tournament’s history.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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