Underconfident Novak Djokovic admits SELF-DOUBTS are restricting his performances

In a press conference at the Srpska Open, Novak Djokovic opened up about his internal conflicts while on court. Djokovic was talking ahead of the start of the Srpska Open which is almost his family tournament. Djordje Djokovic, his brother is the Director of the tournament. This year the tournament has moved from Belgrade to Banja Luka.

Novak Djokovic earlier spoke about his elbow injury earlier in the interview. He mentioned his elbow is not ideal but he can work with it. Djokovic later let his guard down and spoke about his inner demons and biggest roadblocks to success. He said, “The biggest obstacle for me today is Novak Djokovic. If I can beat him, I can beat anyone on the other side of the net“.

Novak Djokovic let the world see his vulnerability and spoke openly about how even the world no. 1 also has self-doubts. Djokovic said, “My biggest challenge is the inner doubts, the insecurities, the ability to find the balance within yourself and to be able to play at your best level.” This is not the first time he has opened up about his weaknesses. In an interview with the American journalist Graham Bensinger, Djokovic spoke in depth about his vulnerabilities.

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Novak Djokovic believes keeping calm is crucial

Djokovic also highlighted in the press conference how challenging it is to keep the same level of calm and composure during tournaments that one feels while training. He thinks it’s almost an art to be able to be relaxed on court and few players can achieve it. “Trying to transfer one’s level and state of relaxation from the training grounds to the court is the most complicated and complex thing. It’s not for nothing that only a few players achieve this at the highest level,” Djokovic said.

The Serb also spoke about how he is able to translate his training and off-court practices to his benefit in tournaments. He said, “I have a routine that I always try to stick to and that puts me in an optimal state to perform at my best”. Discipline is key to any form of success. Who better than Novak Djokovic to display that?

Djokovic is all set for the first-round match at the Banja Luka against French player Luca Van Assche tomorrow. Luca Van Assche defeated Stan Wawrinka in the first round.

In case you missed it:

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