Rhythm and tennis go hand in hand. Studies have consistently demonstrated the profound impact of music on athletic performance, with Olympians, basketball players, and swimmers alike utilizing its power to achieve peak mental and physical states. Tennis players often use music to “get into the zone” and loosen up, allowing the body to function more freely. This happens on both a psychological and physical level. While this sonic advantage can be a powerful tool for athletes, it can also be a source of distraction – or even intimidation – for their opponents, as evidenced by Novak Djokovic‘s experience facing the ever-present music of Rafael Nadal.

In a January 9 interview with GQ Sports, Djokovic opened up about a peculiar yet “famous” trait or we can say a pre-match ritual of Rafael Nadal, which intimated him. Nadal reportedly used to blast music through his headphones in the locker room before matches. While Rafael Nadal has been notoriously private about his pre-match musical preferences, former world No. 1 Mats Wilander once shared an interesting observation: he overheard Nadal listening to Spanish flamenco music in the locker room.

“Oh yeah. But actually, I’ve seen somewhere that when he was asked about that, he said, ‘No, I was never doing that to intimidate.’ I was like, uhh…I’m not so sure,” Djokovic said during the interview. Nadal’s pre-game energy extended beyond music.

Djokovic described how Nadal would sprint “in the little corridors of the locker room where he’s literally taking people down. They walk out of the toilet and, yeah, he wants to make his presence felt. You know? Physical. I’m here. I’m jumping around. I’m ready for a battle. I’m going to get physical with you from the very beginning. From the first moment, you’re going to hear my grunts. ”

“So that’s very intimidating for a lot of players. And if you are not confident in yourself, you don’t have the self-belief, if you don’t have a clear game plan on what you want to do from the beginning, he’s going to eat you alive,” Djokovic concluded. In 2023, when Djokovic leveled Nadal’s record, he revealed how Nadal p-ssed him off for the same reason.

Djokovic returned to Australia in 2023, overcoming his deportation from the previous year. He went on to win the Australian Open, tying Rafael Nadal’s record for men’s singles titles- 22 grand slam! However, at the beginning of his career, Djokovic found it difficult to penetrate the dominance of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. As per Djoker’s own admission, their intimidating presence, even in the locker room, added to his difficulties.

“I can even hear the music he’s listening to, you know, in his headphones,” Djokovic said. “So, you know, it’s p-ssing me off. Early in my career, I didn’t realize how all that’s part of the scenario, right? So I was getting intimidated by that,” he said. However, over time, he used it as motivation to prepare himself mentally for the battles ahead. “It’s also motivating me to do stuff myself and to show that I’m ready, you know? I’m ready for a battle, for a war.”

Unlike Nadal and his high-energy rituals, Djokovic likes to keep himself calm, taking a more internalized approach towards his pre-match routine. Speaking to the media, Djokovic revealed that while other players, like Carlos Alcaraz, find motivation through iconic soundtracks like Rocky’s “Eye of the Tiger,” he finds such music too intense. “I feel like I am full of everything inside as it is; it seems like I am about to explode, so I need something to calm me down a bit,” Djokovic said.

Well, the music taste of tennis players varies widely, as each athlete has a unique rhythm to prepare for matches.

Music taste of tennis players: from retired to the ones currently playing

For instance, Serena Williams enjoyed grooving to Maniac from Flashdance or Beyonce’s THIQUE to pump herself before matches. Similarly, John McEnroe, who is known for his fiery personality, got his inspiration from classic rock and the likes of Rolling Stones and The Beatles.

It has been also heard that Caroline Wozniacki relies on pop artists like Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift to set the mood, while Victoria Azarenka often combines music and dance together to calm her nerves before matches.

Naomi Osaka is another player who leans on music for inspiration and Beyonce and Kanye West are often her go-to artists. She apparently powered her tough first-round win against CoCo Vandeweghe in the 2016 US Open by singing a Beyoncé song to herself after the first set.

While Nadal shows an energetic and assertive presence by playing music and running around corridors to show his warrior spirit, Djokovic, on the other hand, prefers serenity to motivate and calm himself. These anecdotes remind us of the intricate mental strategies that elevate the world’s greatest athletes. And one thing is certain: that rhythm, in any form, is the heartbeat of the champions.