‘I like to expand my space’: Novak Djokovic finally got his Golden Slam, what’s next… and his dream performance programme

In a twilight storm that blanketed the mountains north of Beijing in a silvery haze, Novak Djokovic — the most decorated male tennis player of all time — wore a wood-brown alligator suit and, staring out at the Great Wall of China, stood there trying to do something.

Lacoste has been one of Djokovic’s main sponsors since signing in 2017, and he is their star athlete. The brand hosted an ambitious event called “Play Big” at the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall to celebrate the return of its stars who had not set foot in China in five years. A few days after the Play Big tournament, he returned to domestic competition, starting with the Shanghai Masters on October 5. (Note: A significant portion of the absent years was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

The arrival of the storm set an auspicious, almost frenzied scene for our interview as we sat in a windswept tent. There’s a lot to talk about, especially considering the 37-year-old Serbian-born player’s latest career-high milestone: Djokovic finally wins his Golden Slam in 2024 (his gold at the Paris Olympics adds to his countless Australian Open gold medals, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open victories). We talked at length about that moment, what might have happened next, the things he’s learned as a parent, and his undying admiration for Jim Carrey.

ASKUM: After winning your first gold medal in Paris this summer, it felt like there was no bigger prize left for you – your dream of winning hardware had come true. What’s the first thing you think about when your emotions calm down?

Novak Djokovic: Well, I think that’s what happened: to be honest, the mood didn’t get bad for a long time. Until I got to the race point, I didn’t really allow myself to think about how close I was to the finish line. And then when I won, I felt… an emotional intensity and so much emotion that I’ve never felt on a tennis court before.

I played the best tennis of my career on the big stage against Carlos Alcaraz who was in great form. It’s an incredibly unique game – I think it’s one of the most talked-about performances in any sport at the Olympics – and it’s great to be a part of that history. With the support of my family, my wife, my children and my fellow Serbian Olympians, winning a gold medal after taking on the best in the sport of tennis is a truly great feeling. Short of the gold medal, I really felt the gravity of the emotion after our win when I went to the Olympic Village to celebrate and the whole Serbian team came out to dance with me and sing with me.

With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal now retired, would you agree that we are experiencing a sort of “transition phase”? Tennis is always evolving, but do you see one chapter ending and another beginning?

I don’t think it’s black and white – because if it was, I’d think I’m old-school and can’t compete with the young guys. It’s definitely a change, but it will take time. It’s a natural process and people have been talking about it for years. Yes, we have young guys now, but we also have a generation that isn’t the youngest: [Sasha] Zverev, [Daniil] Medvedev, [Stefanos] Tsitsipas. They all have been or are in the top ten; Medvedev is firmly in first place. He’ll be at the top for a while with the young guys.

But I think you’re thinking of Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner. They’ve had an incredible rivalry over the last 12 months and that rivalry has really brought a lot of attention to the sport. People who don’t necessarily follow tennis focus on the competition;

You have a three-way contest – if we include Murray, it becomes a four-way contest.

In the initial years of my career, when I was trying to move forward, there was competition between Federer and Nadal, so it felt like there was no room for a third player.

blond.

I had a rivalry with Andy Murray, he’s my age and we grew up together. But over the last few years, with our achievements and results, we have expanded this competition into the era of the “Big Four”. I believe this has left a huge and positive mark on the sport of tennis. I think that’s why, at the end of the day, it’s good to have new blood and new competition on the tour that is strong and real and connects people.

Tennis is a huge part of the pop culture conversation in 2024, thanks in large part to the movie “Contenders.” Did you see it?

Yeah – I talked to Zendaya about this in Paris before the Olympics. She said she was always getting people in the tennis community asking her if she had done anything for tennis. I appreciate that – I think it’s great that a superstar like her is interested in making a movie about tennis.

Do you think tennis will continue to be a pop culture topic?

Tennis is a very global sport and a very popular sport – our Grand Slams are the mainstay of it which have been around for 150 years. We have tradition, we have culture, we have history, we have style, we have a certain reputation for being the birthplace of tennis, and we also know how widespread and popular it is. I think we have all the ingredients to become even more popular.

In terms of the zeitgeist and the participants?

I would like to see more public tennis courts. I would like to see the sport promoted in the local community. And now, with the advent of pickleball, paddleball, all the racket sports…

The paddle is too big.

Yes – everyone is talking about it. But have you ever noticed at the US Open how they actually promote tennis as the “healthiest sport”?

Yes, on both sides of the net.

People who play tennis live the longest!

Amen.

Also, on the pop culture front: the interconnection of big fashion brands with tennis or sports in general is creating interest and attention that could help tennis reach certain audiences it couldn’t reach before. Lacoste has done a great job of this – but then again, they were founded on tennis.

It’s a smart annotation. The element of style is important, and it extends to many tennis-focused design signatures, from tennis style influencers like Thom Browne and Ralph Lauren to Gucci’s Janick Sinner.

One hundred percent – that’s why I said the possibilities are much greater than what we see on the pitch. Tennis is like a lifestyle brand that covers travel, hospitality, fitness, mental health, nutrition, fashion and all other aspects; it also has a spiritual aspect. You have so many different elements at play.

You’ve long had memorable interactions with crowds—even if they’re a little nervous sometimes.

Of course, in some of my games, the crowd turned against me and cheered for my opponent. But I’m used to it now – I know how to hold my own in most situations, stay calm and not take things personally. But sometimes I get carried away – and then if someone crosses the line from the stands, I like to respond. But I’ve also played a lot of great games and experienced amazing atmospheres.

There was one match I lost: the 2021 US Open final against Medvedev when I was trying to complete a calendar Grand Slam – trying to win all four Grand Slams in a year. The applause and support I got from the crowd when I walked onto the court that day is something I will never forget. Over 20,000 people gave me a standing ovation. That really surprised me.

How do you really relax – or do you never allow yourself a break from tennis?

I do. I mainly spend time with my kids and wife – family is everything to me. I try to be involved in the kids’ daily activities and take them to school. Sometimes, we go on a family trip and the four of us spend some quality time together and really reconnect.

You look great now – is this how you travel?

Thank you! We were in Montenegro—one of my favorite places in the world and we loved spending our summer holidays there. I love playing golf; I love playing basketball, watching basketball, spending time in nature—I love canoeing, swimming, hiking, biking, running; I’m an outdoor person. I love expanding my space—I think modern lifestyle, especially in big cities and countries, with technology locks us too much indoors—so I long for the outdoors. For me, it’s a positive way to relax. Physically, I always like to be active, even when taking breaks in between sports. But the natural surroundings also relax my brain—my nervous system is happy because I’m finally not as stressed anymore. However, I have to say: I want to do it even more now than I used to. Oh—I love skiing, I forgot to mention that.

In fact?

I grew up in the mountains, my father was a professional skier and both my uncle and aunt skied. So I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in the mountains as a child. For me, even today, the best feeling I can feel is walking down the slopes – that feeling of freedom and mental relaxation, but also excitement and adrenaline – that feeling is unique to me.

Are you worried about someone getting hurt?

My sponsors, my agent and my team care more than I do!

I believe they will do it.

I trust my gut. Of course, you never know, but I think you need a little risk in your life to feel alive.

I love that feeling. You mentioned your family—the tennis fans who have watched your kids grow up over the years, and the cameras rolling on your player box. Yet as they grow up, what is the most fun part of being a parent—and perhaps the most challenging?

The funniest thing is that they are still kids – they always want to play, so they are very creative. And then, of course, they keep challenging you, pushing the envelope and seeing how far they can go to get what they want. These conversations happen every day over little things.

Tolerance and patience are things I really look up to and learn from my kids because they are very sensitive to the moment and very forgiving. In our adult lives, we rarely live in the present – always thinking, what should I do now? Always thinking about the past and the future. Sometimes we forget to play. Adult life is very serious.

Life as an adult is hard, whether you have kids or not.

That’s why I love spending time with my kids. I love that childlike, innocent, pure energy. Additionally, through our foundation’s work, our mission is to support early childhood development. But I think the most important thing I can say about being a parent is to really understand that many times, it’s about you and it’s not about them. If you want to be the best person for them, if you want to be the best father or parent you can be, you really need to focus on being in the right state of mind, body, and spirit to be able to do that. Give, receive, sometimes forgive, be patient, sometimes it can be rough.

It seems that this idea and these values ​​can also be applied to one’s approach to tennis. What are the challenges of integrating mind, body, spirit, etc. in the face of constantly changing and sometimes difficult circumstances?

When there is pressure at home and you feel you have to react in a certain way, there is a certain similarity to being on the pitch when you have to find solutions very quickly. Tennis is a very dynamic sport, decisions are important and you have to be patient, even if you lose your temper and lose your composure. You have to come back to the next point to stay in the game and stay on the field. So, yes – from that point of view, it is similar.

What’s on your personal to-do list?

I have a lot of things in mind – I’m curious about a lot of things in life. I also want to learn to play the saxophone – I really want to. I played it for a while a few years ago but then went back because I didn’t practice enough. You remind me that I want to play more.

You should form a jazz band.

I really want to learn to sing, and I really want to learn to play an instrument. Sex is the best, but I want to know more. I would love to study theatre acting – I love theatre.

In fact?

Yes. It doesn’t have to be a movie, but first and foremost a play. I love live chat.

Do you have a favourite play?

Yes, but in our country – you may not know that. I like comedy. I would like to take some advice from my comedian friends. I would love to learn about painting, arts and crafts.

Especially with comedy acting and your sense of humor – you’ll find a role somewhere.

Could be fun.

I will look into this.

With Jim Carrey. That’s the dream. He’s amazing – his facial expressions, his mimicry ability. It’s always been an interest of mine because I imitated other tennis players early in my career and it went viral.

It’s a lot of creative activity.

I am also passionate about health, wellness, rehabilitation, exercise science, biotech, fintech and medical technology. I am very interested in these things. It is a very broad area of ​​interest, but a lot of my investments are in those areas and I am trying to build various partnerships with big brands in those areas. My team and I are working hard to connect all the dots so that we can really build a strong brand legacy. Eventually, I would like to expand my brand beyond tennis and philanthropy into business, wellness and other areas.

Very good.

Yeah. [Laughs] There was a lot going on. I think my agent and business advisor were probably overwhelmed by everything that was on their agenda – only they knew that – but it was an exciting time because, in a way, it was a transition for me as well.

Tell me more about him.

I look at tennis as a platform – it’s an extension of my arms to achieve all the things I can develop.

All at once, or when you say goodbye?

I’m entering the final phase of my career. I don’t know how long it will last – I don’t put a limit on it.

One last question, and it revolves around the acronym “GOAT.” We’ve noticed that some athletes really enjoy it. Do you like the term? Do you think it’s stupid? Have you ever thought about it?

I think it just happened five or seven years ago or something like that. If the discussion about the “GOAT” really gets people interested in tennis, then I’m all for it. I love it. However, I’m not going to tell you what I think about it and who the GOAT is. I’ll leave that discussion to others. I don’t think I’m capable of that… I don’t think it’s my job to discuss it. I have to respect previous generations, tennis has evolved so much with technology – even the rackets – that it’s hard to say. People like to debate how someone like Bjorn Borg or Rod Laver or John McEnroe would have performed in this era, or how I would have performed in any of their eras. We’ll never know. I’m proud to be part of this group and I’m proud to call myself a student of tennis and the history of the sport. Even though I’ve seen them many times, I still get goosebumps every time I see these guys – these legends.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.