Novak Djokovich has won Roland Garros:
“I thank the audience for being there. The atmosphere was really electric, wonderful. I am grateful that my staff, my parents, my wife could be here. I think about the last 9 hours of tennis against two great champions like Nadal and Tsitsipas, it was not easy either physically or mentally. They were really hard days, really unforgettable. I had great confidence in myself and in my abilities. It’s a dream come true once again.”
“A pleasure to be here. I imagine what Stefanos is feeling, I know how hard it is to feel when you lose a Slam final. These are the matches where you learn the most, and knowing him and his team I know he will be stronger after this match. I am sure he will win many Slam tournaments in the future, I have great respect for him. The future of tennis is in good hands in Greece.”
Djokovic’s words tell of how much stress there is behind these victories even in someone who is used to these successes and is No.1 in the world ranking.
Even if you are a serial winner, the emotions never leave you and this willingness to continue to live these emotionally extreme situations even after years of success is a further demonstration of the value of this type of athletes. Some would call it resilience, to which I would add the word extreme.
