"They kind of awaken a beast in me": Novak Djokovic's steadfast motivation in battling Next Gen stars
Tennis News
Novak Djokovic revealed that his inner motivation behind continuing to still play at the top of his game lies in the rising stars of the sport awakening an 'inner beast' inside of him.
Djokovic despite heading towards the twilight of his career has been ruling the sport and continues to do so for more than two decades. He has won 24 Grand Slam titles, the most in history and only has a few records still to box off including Jimmy Connors' all-time title haul and a Golden and Calendar Slam.
Awaken a beast in me - Djokovic
But of course as a result, it is an interesting one for Djokovic given that he has minimal to still complete in the game. But what drives him is the next crop of stars e.g Alcaraz, Rune and Sinner producing their best tennis against him to try and take the scalp and essentially the Serbian ace still being that scalp into the twilight of his career.
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“I don’t know if that sounds good, to be honest. I think the young guys who are very hungry and very inspired to play their best tennis against me is an additional motivation. I think they kind of awaken a beast in me,” Djokovic told Jon Wertheim in 60 Minutes on CBS News.
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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