Novak Djokovic reveals his formula to balance his busy schedule after Shanghai opening win

Novak Djokovic is still an extremely busy man despite not playing tennis tournaments as regularly as he once was.

Novak Djokovic reveals his formula to balance his busy schedule after Shanghai opening win

Novak Djokovic at a press conference (Image via ATP Tour)

When one is a professional tennis player in their prime, they are typically very busy, moving from one tournament to another in pursuit of titles and milestones. For Novak Djokovic, even though he hasn’t played as much recently as he would like, his busy life continues.

The former World No.1 has returned to Shanghai this week for the first time since 2019, making headlines off the court as well. He was seen playing tennis at the Great Wall of China with Chinese actor Wang Yibo. After his opening-round win, Djokovic shared his formula for balancing his busy life.

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I try to balance things out and maybe I seem like I’m living a perfectly balanced life, but trust me, I’m not. I try to make the most of it and learn, be the best father and husband I can be, while being a tennis player, and of course a son and a brother. I miss my family when I’m away, but at the same time I love tennis, I really do, and I have the support of my loved ones to keep playing.

Novak Djokovic said in his Shanghai post-match press conference

Djokovic has an extremely busy schedule, being a father of two, managing his foundation, and maintaining his competitiveness on the ATP Tour. He has been spotted taking his children to tennis courts and organizing their activities. His children have also been seen at multiple major event finals.

I’m very grateful to God for giving me that opportunity. So I try to remind myself sometimes when I’m going through tough times, like everybody else, I have tough days, but you have to remember what matters most, the connections, the relationships with people, and try to be the best version of yourself that you can be every day. I think that’s kind of the formula.

Novak Djokovic added

After his Wimbledon final loss to Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic gave a special tribute to his son, Stefan, discussing the possibility of him becoming a tennis player one day. As Djokovic prioritizes Grand Slams over regular ATP tournaments, it remains to be seen how he will balance his time between tennis and his other commitments when he’s not playing.

Novak Djokovic blames rust for a hard-fought Shanghai opening win

Novak Djokovic began his journey towards his 100th career title on Saturday with a tough win over Alex Michelsen at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The Serb won 7-6(3), 7-6(9) in a challenging second-round match. Playing in Shanghai for the first time in five years and in only his second match since the US Open, the 37-year-old Djokovic faced a strong test from the young American.

Novak Djokovic (6)
Novak Djokovic (Image via Imago)

It was the first match against Alex and I also hadn’t played in a while, so it took me a little time to get the rust off. He started off terrifically; big serves and an aggressive style of tennis… he’s not afraid to step it up and take it to his opponent. It was a very close encounter and I thought a high level of tennis in both sets. I’m just glad to keep calm when it mattered in the second-set tie-break.

Novak Djokovic said in his post-match interview

Michelsen, part of the #NextGenATP, had two set points in the second-set tie-break but couldn’t close it out. Djokovic, still wearing a protective sleeve over his right knee after meniscus surgery, will next face either Flavio Cobolli or longtime rival Stanislas Wawrinka.

Michelsen started the match fast, winning four of the first five games and pushing Djokovic in their first-ever head-to-head encounter. The 20-year-old American served well and played aggressively, even looking comfortable in long rallies. However, the former World No.1 broke back in the seventh game and eventually won the first set in a tie-break.

In the second set, Djokovic built a 4-1 lead, but Michelsen fought back to tie it at 4-4. The match went to another tie-break, where the 24-time Grand Slam champion saved set points at 7/8 and 8/9, holding his nerve to secure the victory after nearly two hours.