Novak Djokovic achieved a remarkable feat this year by winning three of the four Grand Slam tournaments, bringing his total Grand Slam wins to 24, surpassing Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s records of 22 and 20 Grand Slam wins, respectively.
Djokovic accomplished this at the age of 36, an age that he had not expected to reach in the sport.
Wertheim, in an interview with 60 Minutes Overtime, emphasized that Djokovic’s reign as the most dominant athlete in men’s tennis is not over yet.
He explained that Djokovic came close to winning all four major tournaments and could potentially play for four or five more years.
Wertheim also discussed his coverage of Djokovic as a writer for Sports Illustrated and the role of mental strength in Djokovic’s game.
He recounted his first encounter with Djokovic at the French Open in 2006 when the latter was 19.
In a 2007 Sports Illustrated article called “Not Yet, Novak,” Wertheim expressed his doubts about Djokovic’s ability to disrupt the Federer-Nadal rivalry that had existed in men’s tennis for so long.
However, Djokovic won his first Grand Slam tournament in 2008 and continued to compete with Federer and Nadal in high-pressure matches.
Djokovic’s remarkable 2011 season, in which he won three of the four majors tournaments, marked a turning point in his career.
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Wertheim explained that Djokovic’s confidence and mental strength had improved, and he was no longer intimidated by Federer and Nadal.
In a 60 Minutes interview with Bob Simon, Djokovic stated that he would play tennis for many more years to come, even at the age of 24.
Wertheim asked Djokovic, who is now 36 if he thought that he would still be playing tennis at this age and winning Grand Slam tournaments.
Djokovic admitted that he had not anticipated staying in the sport for so long but said that he was playing smarter and was better able to handle pressure now than he was 10 years ago.
Wertheim also noted that Djokovic’s mental strength had improved significantly over the years, making him the best mental player in the history of men’s tennis.
Djokovic explained that he had developed his mental game through years of practice and self-reflection, including techniques such as conscious breathing and journaling.
He said that he would reconsider his retirement plans once younger players began to outperform him, but for now, he was content to continue playing at his current level.
The CBS program, 60 Minutes, featured an interview with Novak Djokovic, the world’s number one tennis player, conducted by correspondent Jon Wertheim.
