The do-it-all big man in basketball and the player ranked first in tennis for more weeks than any other have used their broad platforms in different ways.ĭjokovic, who grew up in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, is outspoken and a lightning rod - his refusal to get vaccinated for COVID-19 cost him spots at both the 2022 Australian and U.S. I think once that all happened, that kind of coincided with our rise to where we’ve been the last five seasons now.” “It was about maturing, growing up, handling adversity, dealing with the referees, getting into the best shape of his life, losing weight. “Early on, being the best player he could be was not necessarily about a skill set,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. He lost 20-25 pounds, and though he will never be mistaken for Adonis, or even Djokovic, the difference has been clear. The Nuggets trainer had long been telling Jokic that his ceiling was unlimited if he doubled down on his fitness. All but one of his Grand Slam titles have come since he reworked his fitness routine in 2009.įor Jokic, an epiphany came after the Nuggets squandered an 11-point lead in a Game 7 loss to the Trailblazers in the semifinals of the 2019 playoffs. Now, one of Djokovic's trademarks is his ability to outlast virtually anyone in the most grueling of matches. Blisters, dizziness, sore throats and difficulty breathing also hampered him over his career.īut Djokovic says a renewed dedication to fitness and a decision to try a gluten-free diet - he even wrote a book about that - both helped. Djokovic quit during his second-round match at the 2005 French Open, and stopped after losing the first two sets of his quarterfinal the next year at Roland Garros against Rafael Nadal, citing a bad back. Their professions require peak conditioning, something both men lacked in their early years as pros. Though the two Jokers play diametrically different sports - the best basketball teams thrive on teamwork, while the best tennis players master a one-on-one game where the fiercest opponent is often themselves - they're similar in more ways than you might expect.
Even though no man surpasses his Grand Slam total, the tennis world has often found reasons to prefer the other greats of his era, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, over the player some call “Djoker.” Djokovic, too, knows what it's like to not be everybody's favorite. Jokic won the league's MVP honor in 20 but was passed over this season by Joel Embiid of the 76ers - a move that felt like a shun to Denver fans. “To be able to be the best player in that league for three years in a row is just stunning.” "NBA league is the biggest and most important basketball league in the world," Djokovic said during a recent interview at the French Open, where he is seeded third and set for his quarterfinal match on Tuesday.
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