Novak Djokovic
Quotes
( Photo credit: Art Seitz ©2009 )
January 31, 2012: "I'm a professional tennis player. I'm sure any other tennis player would say the same: We live for these matches. We're trying to dedicate all our life to this sport to come to the situation where we play a six-hour match for a Grand Slam title."
— Novak Djokovic, who relished the battle as much as his 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5 marathon victory over Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final."
Sept 2011: "I’ve played a great match really from the start to the end. When you play that well, you must enjoy."
— An ecstatic Novak, after his 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 victory over Rafael Nadal in the US Open final.
July 5, 2011: "The most special day of my life. This is my favorite tournament, the tournament I always dreamed of winning, the first tournament I ever watched in my life. I think I’m still sleeping."
— An ecstatic Novak Djokovic, after winning his first Wimbledon title by decisively dethroning Rafael Nadal.
May 18, 2011: "In speaking publicly about the condition, Djokovic has become the world’s most famous coeliac, and living proof that sufferers can not only lead relatively normal lives but can excel. Sufferers of coeliac disease experience an auto-immune response to gluten, a protein in many grains, which irritates the small intestine, sometimes causing symptoms throughout the body. The disease runs in families."
— Martin Hickman, writing in The Independent (UK) that tennis champion Novak Djokovic partly attributes his amazing 37-0 unbeaten streak this season to overcoming a wheat allergy by going on a gluten-free diet.
April 6, 2011: "You have to believe on the court. In the end, it’s mental. In these moments against a great champion like Rafa, you have to believe. It’s all about stepping in and taking your chances. I always believed, but it’s a process of learning."
— Novak Djokovic, who had lost five of six tiebreakers and five of six finals against Rafael Nadal before defeating him 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) in the thrilling Sony Ericsson Open final.
February 2, 2011: "We’ve been growing up through two wars. When you turn around and analyse what you have been through, you appreciate some things more in your life and you know what your values are. Of course everybody loves their country. I don’t love my country more than you love yours, but in my case it’s a more special feeling because we’ve been through something different. So to be able to help those people who I know how much they’ve suffered – and they still suffer because of some problems – it’s our obligation in some way to give support as best we can."
— Novak Djokovic, on what his winning the 2011 Australian Open means to Serbia.
February 2, 2011: "I wouldn’t be writing any epitaphs too quickly. But I think what makes it interesting is that now Novak has truly, I think, joined that conversation firmly. I don’t think the big two will be the big two in quite the same way."
— Jim Courier, former world No. 1 and now the U.S. Davis Cup captain, speaking of superstars Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer being joined by Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic.
September 11 , 2007: "All of a sudden, I got quite nervous, feeling the pressure, and that obviously was a mistake. Roger is the most mentally strong player in the world, and I was mentally weak. Looking at the situation, it was a first Grand Slam final for me, 23,000 people, a lot of excitement, and I just couldn't calm down."
—Novak Djokovic,a popular, 20-year-old Serb, on why he played his worst when it mattered most in the U.S. Open final.
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