"I wouldn't have thought it possible": Michael Stich marvels at Novak Djokovic's achievements

Michael Stich marveled at Novak Djokovic's ability and achievements on the ATP Tour ahead of the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin, while also revealing his thoughts on the improved longevity of players in general.

World No. 1 Djokovic has had a dominant season in 2023, winning three out of four Grand Slams (the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open), and equaling Margaret Court's record of 24 major titles in the process. Following this, he extended his reign at the top of the ATP Ranking to almost 400 weeks and consolidated his place as year-end No. 1.

The Serbian player is currently preparing to compete at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, where he will battle it out among the other Top 8 players of the season - Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Holger Rune - in a bid to defend his title.

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Former World No. 2 and 1991 Wimbledon champion Stich recently revealed his thoughts on Djokovic in an interview. The former tennis player for Germany, who also won a Gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games, lauded the 36-year-old's ability and said he never thought it was possible for one player to achieve so much.

"It's impressive, everything stands out from the competition. Not only is he playfully and physically strong, his attitude towards sport and his will are also incredible. What particularly fascinates me is that he generally plays his best tennis when it matters most. In tight sets, in tiebreaks, he's just there and hard to beat at the moment.

"If someone had told me that the performance of the best would extend so far back, I certainly wouldn't have believed it. Also when it comes to the titles: When Pete Sampras won his 14th Grand Slam, it was crazy. But I wouldn't have thought it possible that Djokovic has now reached 24 wins," he said.

Stich then went on to share his thoughts on the reasons behind players' increased longevity in the current generation of the sport: "Certainly the care is better, medicine has made progress and many players may also listen to their bodies a little better. In addition, in contrast to my time, most good singles players no longer play doubles and therefore have fewer matches in their legs overall.

"Another aspect that has nothing to do with tennis itself, in my opinion, is the change in travel habits. Today, many professionals are on tour with their families, something that rarely happened before. I am sure that not having to spend large parts of the year away from your loved ones contributes to your overall satisfaction and ultimately your productivity," he continued.