Following his record victory at the 2023 Paris Masters, Novak Djokovic has revealed that he is glad other players think he is "invincible", even though he does not believe so himself.
The World No. 1 continued his reign over the ATP Tour this season by defeating Grigor Dimitrov in the final of the Paris Masters 6-4, 6-3. This secured him a seventh title at the tournament and his 40th ATP Masters 1000 title, becoming the first player to reach both of these milestones.
This seems like a natural continuation of what has been an incredible year for Djokovic, during which he won three out of four Grand Slams - the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open - and equaled Margaret Court's record for 24 major titles in the process.
After his win, the 36-year-old opened up on the widespread belief among many fans and players alike that he is "invincible" and unbeatable. In particular, he expressed that the confidence others had in him already gave him a "mental advantage" when stepping out onto the court.
"No one is invincible, but I am glad that there is this aura around me, that people think I am invincible, and that the players feel it on the court. That's very important to me. I want them to feel that because it puts me at a mental advantage over them," he said.
Fans have since taken to social media to express their opinion on this statement, with many elaborating on why this advantage is so important.
"I remember one commentator saying that Novak is a break up before the match even starts, just because of this aura, and I think it makes sense," wrote one fan on Reddit.
"It’s this mentality that convinces me more and more everyday that Novak is gonna be here to dunk on these kids for many more years to come," added another.
"He probably wins more than half his matches before his opponent even takes the court," another fan commented on X.
Djokovic will be in action later this month at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, where he will be aiming to defend his title and secure his place as year-end No. 1.
Novak Djokovic says no one is invincible, but he’s glad that other players think he is: "No one is invincible, but I am glad that there is this aura around me, that people think I am invincible & that the players feel it on the court. That's very important to me. I want them to…
