Novak Djokovic named ‘Master of Calendar’ by Alex Corretja who praises the Serb’s fitness regime

Novak Djokovic will return to court in the 2023 Paris Masters where he is a 5-times champion.

Novak Djokovic named ‘Master of Calendar’ by Alex Corretja who praises the Serb’s fitness regime

Alex Corretja (L), Novak Djokovic (R) (Sources: Sport World News/Brittanica)

Former Spanish tennis player Alex Corretja recently named Novak Djokovic ‘Master of the Calendar’ for his perfect distribution of effort and energy across the full calendar of a season to get the best results in the tours that actually matter, while also making sure that he is constantly ahead in the ranking battle. This shows how experienced the Serb is, as it requires excellent strategizing to reach this level of perfection and awareness. 

“I think Djokovic is the master of the calendar because he knows exactly what he needs to do in every moment,” Alex Corretja said while talking about the Serb. 

YouTube video

The Spaniard went on to explain that in order to do that, one needs to know his body and his game. Djokovic knows exactly where to pick up his game and he does that better than anyone else in the sport. After the 2023 US Open, for example, the Serb decided to drop out of the China Open and the Shanghai Masters. The Serb often does this after Grand Slam events to give proper rest to his body. 

FS Video

Corretja opined that not many players can return to the court after a 1-month-long break and pick up from where they left off, and the Serb has this phenomenal capability. “So I think Novak does that very well, but at the same time, it’s very difficult because it’s not easy not to compete a month and a half and then show up and be ready to do that,” he said. (H/T: Eurosport)

Read More: Martina Navratilova calls out trolls for being labeled a ‘FASCIST’ while just trying to protect women’s sex-based spaces

Alex Corretja explains the difference between Novak Djokovic and other players 

The Spaniard went on to opine that the mistake that many players do after coming back from a break is that they get demoralized by the fact that the other players’ game looks better than theirs. It is obvious as, although they have been practicing at their homes, those other players have been on the court competing against the very best in the world. 

Novak Djokovic's 'Dial in' celebration
Novak Djokovic’s ‘Dial in’ celebration (Source: US Open)

“You need to accept the situation the first few days, that maybe you don’t feel as good because the other players, they’ve been playing a lot and you being home – even if you are practicing – is different,” he said. 

Novak Djokovic, being as experienced as he is, knows this and takes time to adapt. And once he does that, he is back in his very best form. Thus, the label ‘Master of Calendar’ is kind of extremely appropriate for the Serbian international. 

In case you missed it: