“My close ones let me be by myself, not much communication” : How Novak Djokovic handles a Grand Slam final

When Novak Djokovic steps on the Centre Court of Wimbledon on Sunday afternoon, he will be set to play his 32nd Grand Slam final, more than any other male player in the history of tennis.

“Finals of a Grand Slam cannot be compared to anything,” Djokovic admits before meeting Nick Kyrgios on Sunday.

“It is the last day of the tournament and the culmination of all the hard work that led to that point. You feel the pressure and the excitement at the same time. Usually, my close ones let me be by myself, there is not much communication on that day. I am trying to get into my zone and to have the necessary peace in my head.”

Djokovic is the only man in the history of tennis to reach eight or more finals across three different Slams. Three women did it : Chris Evert, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams. Australia, Paris, London, New York are the cities where Djokovic made it – the Grand Slam final day is not the same in all these places.

“Exactly, it depends, because in Australia – for example – finals are played in the evening. Usually, I finish my warm-up on the court two hours before that match starts. After that, I like to play Uno (card game) with my team, which is a part of our routine. Then I spend 30-45 minutes by myself: I do breathing exercises, visualisation, I try to focus as best as possible and to prepare myself mentally and emotionally.”

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Before that, when the day begins : “I have my kids here at Wimbledon, so my rhythm is a bit different. I play with them when I wake up. Of course, from the get-go I pay attention to my nutrition and ways to prepare my body and mind, so that I can perform to the best of my abilities.”

On Sunday, Djokovic will play Nick Kyrgios for his seventh Wimbledon title – which would see him equal his childhood idol Pete Sampras and William Renshaw – as well as his 21st Grand Slam title overall.

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