"It's okay not to be okay": Djokovic opens up on personal journey and acceptance of struggles

Novak Djokovic has looked very vulnerable on a tennis court recently losing a couple of matches without even properly challenging and it's been something new for fans.

Djokovic lost plenty of matches in his career but his recent losses looked somewhat different. He didn't look as good as he looked in Melbourne, and he looked very beatable. Whether it's an elbow injury or just a bad run, Djokovic spoke about facing challenges in Rome ahead of his match today.

“I think it’s important to understand that we all are human beings, and we all go through our own difficulties and challenges and obstacles. It’s okay not to be okay, as well. I’ve seen that quote somewhere. I think it’s a really simple way of kind of expressing really great wisdom of life”.

Djokovic is known for his introspective nature and affinity to resort to unconventional matters such as meditation and others.

“We all talk today about you got to be so strong, you got to be always at your best. When you go through difficulties, especially as a man, you are going to be judged and criticized for maybe expressing things that you feel, that you want to share, because you cannot be weak.

It’s a sign of weakness. I actually think it’s the contrary. It’s a great feeling of liberation when you cry, when you let things go, when you express your emotions”.

“I think it’s important to go back to the basics really and understand why you started to do what you do, which for me in this case is tennis and the professional sport that I always dreamed of playing. As a kid, you start playing sport 99% of the time because you fall in love with it, because you have certain emotion that drives you, that makes you joyful, that makes you enjoy every single moment.

I think this is something to always go back to and remind yourself when you are going through difficult times. I think it humbles you, as well. Then, of course, the hard work, dedication, devotion, discipline, all of those values and virtues that you need to work on daily to kind of make them in a way a conscious presence every single day. Without that, there is absolutely no success”.