Hailing from the war-torn streets of Belgrade, Novak Djokovic’s journey to the top of world tennis has long been hailed as one of sport’s most inspiring tales. From hitting makeshift balls against a broken wall during air raids to lifting 24 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic has always been the symbol of resilience. Speaking about the foundation of his incredible mental strength, he once admitted, “I came from literally nothing and difficult life circumstances together with my family and with my people. That’s why I managed to find that extra gear.” Yet, even for someone who built his career on unshakeable mental strength, the fire hasn’t always burned bright.

In a candid revelation during an interview with Piers Morgan, the Serbian legend opened up about a phase when he momentarily fell out of love with the sport that made him who he is today. When Morgan asked him to share his thoughts about what it’s like to be at the highest level in the sport, Djokovic simply stated, “Weathering the storm constantly.” He spoke about how, at one particular period, he almost reached 20 or 19 finals in a row, dominating on all surfaces and in all tournaments. “There was no tournament that I didn’t play, that I was not in the finals. So, that’s quite a dangerous place to be mentally and emotionally, if you know what I mean, because you’re like, I mean, ‘I can play every week. I don’t get tired. I’m fine. I’m great. Nobody can beat me,’ and so forth,” Djokovic added.

That’s exactly when he feels the ego grows, and then comes a point of decline. In 2016, other than winning four Masters titles, Novak Djokovic defeated Andy Murray in four sets, completing the historic ‘Nole Slam’. But in 2017, his season got a bit derailed due to an injury, and a year later, he underwent elbow surgery. Speaking on this, Djokovic said that this was the “biggest injury” of his career and it was more like “a big, you know, slap in my face.” He spoke about how masking the injuries with tablets and painkillers worsened things for him. Then he went on to speak about his encounter with Sam Querrey in the R32 of the 2016 Wimbledon. Djokovic lost the match in four sets. But more than the result, there was a lesson he got from this match, which impacted him the most. There were two rain interruptions in that match, and all Djokovic wanted at that time was to spend some time in an isolated room, and hence, he even asked his teammates to leave him alone.

“I just want to be myself… I let the bags, everything, I didn’t want to drink. I just stared at the wall for 20 or 30 minutes. And that’s the first time I felt really empty and that’s when I realized that you know all the stress and tensions and excitement and anticipation…all the strong emotions that I was feeling for whatever years coming to that moment, my brain had had enough, and I just needed to reset…and I had to do it many times in my career,” Djokovic explained. He skipped some tournaments after that, and it was the same year when Andy Murray defeated him at the ATP World Tour Finals and became the new world number one.

But surprisingly, Novak Djokovic claimed, “I didn’t care about whether I’m going to finish number one or not. That’s the kind of stage or condition that I had at the moment…” This confession struck a chord with fans and fellow athletes alike. For a man whose discipline and motivation often seem superhuman, this glimpse into his humanity was both surprising and grounding. This was the moment when Djokovic felt that he had to regain his love for the sport and rebuild the lost passion surrounding it.

However, this wasn’t the only time that we’ve seen Djokovic admitting a reduction in motivation level. For example, in 2024, during a conversation with Nick Kyrgios on the ‘Good Trouble’ podcast, he said, “Part of me always wants to keep going; I don’t have an expiration date. I’m lucky to have my life, but some mornings, I’m unmotivated and less inspired to travel, to play when I want to be at home, and have a normal life.”

Not only that, even after Rafael Nadal’s retirement, Novak Djokovic claimed that a part of him has left with the Spaniard, and it’ll be a big challenge for him to find motivation once again. But talking about finding the motivation to keep going, the Serb recently set a deadline for his retirement, perhaps…

Novak Djokovic reveals his retirement plans after securing the 101st title of his career

For more than two decades, Novak Djokovic has carried the weight of a nation on his shoulders—turning adversity into triumph and doubt into domination. But now, as his legendary career slowly nears its twilight, the Serbian icon has painted a picture of how he wants his story to end: beneath the five Olympic rings, holding his nation’s flag high one final time.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets to win his first gold medal at the Olympics for his nation. But tell you what, the hunger for bringing in more success for his nation hasn’t yet dampened for this 38-year-old superstar. After winning his 101st title in Athens recently, Djokovic opened up about a dream that goes beyond Grand Slams and world records.

In an interview, when he was asked if he had set any dates for his retirement, the Serb said, “Since I’ve achieved absolutely all possible goals, I said about the 2028 Olympics because I wanted to play for so many more years. So maybe ending up at the Olympic Games with the Serbian flag, that would be nice.” But having said that, he looked a bit concerned about this goal when he added, “I don’t know, I mean, I really don’t know, because there are some things that are not entirely in my control. I’m trying to be as healthy as possible mentally and physically.”

Whether or not destiny grants him that golden farewell, one thing is certain—when Novak Djokovic finally lays down his racket, it won’t just mark the end of a career. It will mark the conclusion of one of sport’s greatest stories, written with heart, resilience, and undying national pride.