"It's not cockiness, it's confidence": Patrick Mouratoglou backs Novak Djokovic's on-court persona and desire to beat Nadal and Federer
ATP
Novak Djokovic's confidence is usually mistaken for arrogance and renowned coach, Patrick Mouratoglou believes it is the former over a cockiness given that he has backed it up.
Djokovic has established himself as the greatest of the open era with 24 Grand Slam titles and still being World No.1 despite him hardly playing tournaments and his desire is still at its best even into the twilight of his career.
He said that the difference is that many never thought they would beat the dominance of Federer and Nadal, but then Djokovic came around and believed it could happen so he made it happen.
"A lot of players don't believe that they can beat Rafa and Novak at all. Some others think they cannot beat them in a Grand Slam. So what is impossible to envision is impossible to do. It's as simple as that. And the champions are able to not foresee any limits within themselves. That's the big difference," said Mouratoglou.
"I always tell this story that when Roger and Rafa were dominating the men's tour outrageously, I had discussion with most of the top tens and they were saying to me that it was impossible to win a slam in their mind and a young guy, 19 years old suddenly came out and said publicly I'm going to beat them.
"This guy was Novak Djokovic in the tennis world said what a shame how this guy can be so cocky and things like this. It's not cockiness, it's confidence and he happened to do it not because he said it but because he deeply believed it. A lot of.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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