"People have no idea how much he helps other players" - Novak Djokovic praised by team member as wealth of knowledge not going to waste

There is a reason why Novak Djokovic has crafted out a defining legacy in the sport. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is and will be regarded as one of the best to ever do it once his time in the sport comes to a sudden halt. His wealth of knowledge and experience is not going to waste, with him eager to pass down expertise to the next generation without any hesitation.

Still competing at 39, Djokovic has started to show the first signs of him slowing down. A shambolic North American hardcourt swing which saw Cincinnati Open and US Open exits at the first hurdle was a damaging blow and a cause for concern.

While the Serbian has impressed on the big stage at times in 2026, notable five-set wins over Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open semi-final and Felix Auger-Aliassime in the last-eight of Wimbledon, a number of early exits and surprising results have put his career under threat to an extent, and no surprise being the age that he currently is.

He fell out of the top 10 with other players capitalising on his huge points swing following the US Open, but that has not stopped or de-motivated him. Determined to get back on his feet and swinging, Djokovic will compete in the China Open, a tournament he has won six times from six participations. He returns for the first time since 2015 with Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev headlining a stacked lineup.

Djokovic has worked incredibly hard to get to the standard he has got to. Over two decades of hard work have been put into his tennis career. Many players competing currently are desperate to continue learning and want to seek advice from the best. According to Djokovic's physio, Carlos Costa, Djokovic is always happy to help.

“He loves helping younger players," Costa said on A BOLA. "He often stops training to give advice to other players, even those he is competing against on the tour. Not long ago, [Felix] Auger-Aliassime asked him for some advice, and Novak immediately helped him. The same thing happened with [Joao] Fonseca. People have no idea how much he helps other players.”

Both players had already competed against him this year, showing that Djokovic is not shying away from helping his rivals out on court even if it comes back to bite him.

Costa continued to discuss the ins and outs of Djokovic's training and practice sessions. Everything has to be perfect and on point. If not, the former World No.1 would not be impressed.

“I have never seen anything like Novak Djokovic. His vision, what he puts in every single day on the court, and his intensity. I had seen something similar before, but never with Djokovic’s consistency. He pays attention to every detail. The amount of time it takes us to give him his towel… if there is something that is not planned, there is friction. He even goes as far as creating tests within the team to find out whether we are really looking for the best recovery strategies and providing the best treatments."

Djokovic may be one of the best to ever do it, but that does not mean he is perfect. From his point of view, there is so much more to improve on as he looks to his main rivals and what they are doing to get themselves in the best shape possible. “For example, he asked us why [Jannik] Sinner does eye training, and we didn’t," Costa stated. "He is constantly looking for ways to be the best in the world."

That goes for him as well. “I am always trying to stay as up to date as possible. I even take courses with physiotherapists from other sports; I try to learn from other sports. But sometimes he sees videos or notices other players doing different things in the locker room, and he is always asking why we don’t do the same. And our answer can’t take too long! We are constantly looking for ways to improve.”

Even in the latter years of his career, Djokovic is still putting everything into his tennis career. He still has flashes of greatness on the court despite not being in his prime anymore, but his goals and ambitions are still clear. His next focus is at the China Open and Shanghai Masters before a return to Europe to culminate the year. He may already be looking towards the Australian Open, the next chance he can get of sealing an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title.