‘Mountaineering revived me’
belgrade — Mountain climbing with his wife Jelena after a poor first half of the year helped Novak Djokovic rediscover his mojo to win the 2018 Wimbledon and US Open titles, Serbia’s world number three said on Monday.
The former world number one, who has won 14 Grand Slam titles, suffered a dramatic two-year dip in form after winning the 2016 French Open but is now brimming with confidence ahead of next week’s Shanghai Masters.
“If I have to pick one moment which turned my season around, it was the aftermath of my quarterfinal exit at this year’s Roland Garros,” he told reporters after an open practice session at his tennis complex in downtown Belgrade.
“I took four or five days off and went mountaineering with my wife. Spending that time out in the nature helped me clear my mind and put things into perspective.
“I then won titles at Wimbledon, Cincinnati and the US Open and I am very grateful that I hit top form again after a difficult first half of the season following the elbow surgery.”
Djokovic, who looked sharp during the two-hour session, acknowledged his comeback was unexpectedly quick.
“I had to change my game, especially my serve, as a result of the surgery. I didn’t expect to come back so quickly,” he said.
“I was in the unfamiliar situation of losing more matches than I was winning early on this season and when that happens, you begin to wonder whether you’ve made the right decisions.” —