As the French Open 2020 men’s singles final unfolded, millions around the world watch the spectacle. But the match didn’t exactly match up to how fans expected it to be. Rafael Nadal cruised past #1 seed Novak Djokovic in straight sets, but the Serbian is just grateful to have reached the stage where he is now. 

As the tournament began a fortnight ago, Djokovic and Nadal stood tall as the favorites. Although both of them made it to the finals as predicted, not many wanted Djokovic to go down in straight sets. 

While reflecting on his loss, the Serbian expressed how much it means to be standing where he is now. “I try to remind myself of how blessed I am really to be in this position,” Djokovic said.

“I’m just, very blessed & grateful to have the life that I have right now, without a doubt. I have to constantly repeat that to myself, that nothing should be taken for granted.” 

Moreover, Djokovic addressed the fact that certain people don’t see him as their favorite or look up to him as a great tennis player. 

“I understand that there are people that don’t like maybe what I do on/off the court,” Djokovic said. “I understand that I can’t be liked by everyone. That’s fine. I think it’s important to have an understanding of who you are & your position in this life, be grateful & move on,” he mentioned. 

Novak Djokovic reminds us that he is also human 

There is no top athlete in this world who isn’t a target of hate comments or distasteful content online. Similarly, Novak Djokovic has earned a lot of people who are against him for whatsoever reason. For them, Novak just has a few lines that he wants to express. 

“The way I see myself obviously is different the way maybe other people see me. I mean, I try to be true to my core values, what I kind of grew up with,“ Djokovic said. 

However, the 33-year-old also believes that change is always imminent. “I was always saying that the only constant in my life is the change. I am someone that has that kind of approach to life, to really have an open mind, open heart, learn and grow and develop my character, be as best of a human being I can possibly be,” the 17-time grand slam champion added. 

Even though Novak Djokovic lost in convincing fashion, he will undoubtedly roar back in the next year’s slams. The US Open debacle shines a grim light on his year so far, but one shouldn’t forget that he won a record-extending eighth Australian Open title earlier in 2020.