"His toughest match right now is always the guy in the mirror": Novak Djokovic's 'mind control' and motivation is mindblowing believes Rick Macci
ATPThursday, 23 November 2023 at 09:30
Tennis coach Rick Macci believes the world number one Novak
Djokovic is his own biggest rival. 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.
Macci, while talking on the Match Point Canada podcast,
heaped praise on Djokovic and stated that he is his biggest rival which is what
keeps him motivated.
“He doesn’t mind if people are against him. He sort of
clicks things in his mind and his mind control is amazing. He is all about the
competition,” he said. “Let me think about it, 24 Grand Slams, seven ATP
Finals. We could go on and on.
“The numbers and the money is mind-boggling to keep the
motivation up. What’s the motivation? Simple: I love to compete and that should
be the goal of any coach, to become the best competitor you can be.
“When you have that success to still wanna go out there and
knock you out, it’s not about anything other than what he expects from himself.
He knows his toughest match right now is always the guy in the mirror. It’s
always himself.”
Djokovic recently won the ATP Finals in Turin where he
defeated the local star player Jannik Sinner in the final with a score of 6-3,
6-3.
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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- …and Foseca ;)DaveyWavey25-08-2026
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