[soft breeze gently whooshing]
[gentle music playing]
[waves lapping lightly]
[Novak Djokovic]
It's true wisdom
to know how to let go,
to know how to liberate
yourself and feel free,
because there's no stronger
feeling in life than freedom.
[waves lapping lightly]
[Jelena Djokovic]
Novak is incredibly vulnerable.
And soft and gentle.
-[kisses smacking]
-[child laughing]
[lips smacking]
[Jelena] But he's also angry.
There is the anger in him, too.
[gentle music
continues playing]
I guess the anger is these
unexpressed emotions
that he has had to throw
under the carpet.
[explosions booming]
[loud boom]
He's this playful kid that just
wants to do what he loves
and he's really good at,
but I don't think
there was ever a chance
for most of the kids
of that generation
to play too much.
Basically, for him,
tennis is a safe nest.
That's the place
where he finds love.
[inaudible cheering]
[Novak] I cannot say I feel
content with what I have
and who I am.
I am always looking to be more,
better, faster, stronger.
Oftentimes I feel
that I am imprisoning myself.
In order for you to thrive
and to be at the maximum
of your abilities,
you have to literally transform
every part of your life...
outside of the tennis court
to be in service
to the tennis court.
And that has consequences.
[Radiohead plays
"The National Anthem"]
[howling]
[howling]
[Andre Agassi] I don't feel like
he's been appreciated
nearly as much as he's worthy of
for what he's brought
to the game of tennis.
Nobody can touch
what he's accomplished.
I mean, it is as clear
as it gets.
He's the best of all time.
He's won more Masters
than anybody,
won more Slams than anybody.
He's been ranked number one
longer than anybody.
By every measure,
he did what was asked of him.
But the body's talking.
Time is talking.
Everyone
Everyone around here
[Novak]
I have no date in my mind,
to be honest,
the expiry date of my career.
I know a lot of people
are speculating that,
a lot of people are retiring me
already for many years.
[tennis ball thwacking]
I said why would you
want to retire me...
when I'm still playing
and I'm still competing
at the highest level?
I'm still top five,
top 10 in the world.
Why would I talk
about retirement...
when I keep proving to myself
that I can still win?
Olympic gold was the one thing
that I did not have.
To win gold was the ultimate.
I just had a clear goal.
[announcer] The fans in place
for what should be
a spectacular final
coming up in the men's singles
gold medal decider.
It will be Novak Djokovic
who is facing Carlos Alcaraz.
Novak with those
24 Grand Slam titles.
This was his fifth Olympics.
Twenty years he's been trying
to win Olympic gold for Serbia.
Twenty years.
[Rafael Nadal] You have only
one chance every four years,
and when you lose that match...
it's very difficult mentally
to accept that.
"I'm gonna need four more years
to have another chance."
[Mary Carillo]
Carlos Alcaraz has talent
spilling out his sides.
He's only 21 years old,
he's already won four majors.
[fans cheering]
[Mary]
Going into the Olympics,
Novak hadn't won
a tournament all year.
Is this the inflection point?
Obviously,
Alcaraz is-- is favorite.
But Novak is Novak
when the moment matters.
[announcer]
Novak Djokovic!
[cheering and applause]
You could feel, like,
he was not going there
for the silver medal.
[players grunting]
-[cheering and applause]
-[commentator 1 laughing]
[commentator 2]
Give it up, give it up!
-Come on!
-[commentator 1] And get up!
And get up!
[Jelena] It's really tiring
living that stress
and pressure of having
to always be the best.
And I kept thinking,
it would be great
if he won the Olympic gold.
Like, that's it.
"I have nothing else to prove
to anyone or to myself."
[players grunting]
[crowd roaring]
[announcer]
And for Novak Djokovic,
two sets to love.
[commentator] Novak Djokovic
gets gold for Serbia!
[gentle violin music playing]
[gentle music
continues playing]
[Jelena]
I cried because I was so happy.
That was such a relief.
And I remember
his coach shouting,
"Game over!
He has done it all.
He's done it all!"
And I'm looking at him like,
"Oh my God,
we shall see what's next."
He's like, "No, no,
he's thinking, he's contem--"
I'm like, "He does that a lot
"because he likes to play
that game,
but definitely no out for him."
[gentle music playing]
[Jelena speaking Serbian]
How are you feeling?
[speaking Serbian]
It's catching up to me slowly.
Too many things are happening,
and so I can't come
to my senses.
I can't, in some way, see
the big picture in peace.
I didn't know, I never
won Olympics, so it was--
for me, it was the highlight
of my career, right?
Considering all the losses
at previous Olympic Games
and how I felt, and then
the roller coaster of emotions
that I've been through.
And the celebration
for like seven to ten days
after that.
[people shouting]
[light patting on windows]
[shouting continues]
Be careful, be careful,
be careful.
Drive, drive, drive.
[Novak] Olympics were
so draining for me,
as much as they were rewarding
and beautiful
to experience that,
and win gold,
and have my family,
and then go back to Serbia
and celebrate, and all that.
[speaking Serbian]
This is the greatest feeling
a Serbian athlete can have.
Thank you again.
Long live Serbia. Let's go!
[cheering and applause]
When you're at the top,
when you're dominating,
when you're feeling
like you're the best,
regardless of your age,
you wanna keep going.
[commentator 1]
Novak is determined.
I think this is his best chance
to win another major.
[commentator 2] Novak Djokovic
gonna have to do it
the hard way in Melbourne
to win his 25th Grand Slam.
[commentator 1]
Number 25 is sitting there
and he's going for it.
There are only three ways
to retire in sports.
The game retires you,
and these guys who couldn't
hold your jockstrap
are now beating you.
Your body retires you.
You wake up one day,
and your body says,
"We can't do this anymore."
Or you go out on top.
Most players
need door number one.
-[ball thwacking]
-[player grunting]
"Because if none of you chumps
can beat me...
why would I quit?"
There's no way on Earth
that Novak Djokovic
is passing the torch to anybody.
You gotta take it.
[sneakers squeaking]
Everybody's asking him,
"When you're gonna retire,"
and all of that.
He definitely has mixed
feelings about his retirement.
This is the biggest
decision of his life.
[gentle music playing]
[grunting]
[Novak] When I started,
I was four, five.
Grew up on the mountains and
I skied a lot when I was a kid.
But tennis was...
[clicking tongue]
...just the dominant sport
inside of my heart.
My dad was a professional skier.
He was instructor
when he stopped skiing,
and as instructor,
he met my mom on the ski slope.
And he approached her,
and that's where
the-- the love started,
and they decided to live
in that mountain.
They opened a restaurant.
That in summer, they were
building a tennis court
just next to the restaurant.
[Novak] Actually,
the first time they start
building those courts,
I was here because
of the family's restaurant,
and I was helping the workers,
'cause I was-- you know,
I-- I never heard for tennis.
Nobody has ever really played
tennis in my family before.
And they told me that they were
building a tennis court,
so I asked, what is that?
And they told me,
"Well, it's a sport.
It's nice, it's played
with a racket."
I asked my father,
he knew about it.
So then, I started
watching it on TV,
and I helped the workers.
I brought them some free drinks
from the restaurant.
In return, they--
they allowed me
to help them out.
[Dijana Djokovic]
We like sports,
we always watch sports on TV.
So, usually Sports Channel,
and he was watching Wimbledon.
[grunting]
[commentator]
Game, set, match, Agassi!
[cheering and applause]
[Dijana]
He said, "I would like to try.
I would like one racket."
So, Father bought him
one small racket.
[Dijana]
And he start to play outside,
you know, in front
of our restaurant.
And then, when he said,
"I want to play,"
we put him in this camp.
[Dijana] He was playing
some match during the camp.
I get out and watch him.
And he was so crying
when he lost.
I said, "Never mind.
It's just one match."
"No, I don't want."
He didn't want to lose.
Out!
[people chattering]
Jelena Gencic,
she's my "tennis mom,"
as I like to call her.
Her influence on me
was very big.
She was one of the early
coaches of Monica Seles.
[Jelena Gencic]
I saw one little boy
just behind the fence, you know,
and watching, watching,
watching all morning.
And I asked him, "Do you know
what we are doing here?"
"Yes, I know.
You play tennis."
"Oh, what's your name?"
"Novak Djokovic."
[grunting]
[Jelena Gencic] Bravo!
[Novak yelling and grunting]
[man speaking Serbian]
Jelena, already after
10 to 15 days said that
in her life she hasn't seen a
greater talent than Novak.
[man speaking Serbian]
She even compared him
to Monica Seles.
What I like the most about
tennis are the forehand,
the backhand,
and the volley shots.
That's how I defeat opponents.
Then, you start to believe.
We decided
to give him support.
[grunting]
[Novak] The concept of longevity
was introduced by her
when I was nine, ten years old.
Take care of your body,
take care of yourself,
your mind.
We were learning
about importance
of listening
to classical music,
importance of knowing
how to relax,
knowing how to breathe.
She said I should approach
tennis in such a way
that I don't want to have
only one shot at Wimbledon...
but multiple shots at Wimbledon.
Is tennis a game or a
responsibility to you?
Well, tennis is
a responsibility to me.
What is your goal in tennis?
My goal in tennis is
to become a champion.
[grunting]
[Marko Djokovic] She took my dad
on the side and she told him,
"Your son is gonna be number one
in the world in the future."
So, can you imagine my dad
out of nowhere...
listening to that.
And he, in a way, took it
so seriously, my dad,
that he said,
"Okay, I'm gonna take care,
"I'm gonna do everything I can
to-- to allow him,
give him conditions
so he can flourish."
[Miljan Amanovic]
What happened to us 1999,
entire nation was...
Wow.
Back then,
whole world turn against us.
[jet roaring]
-[air raid siren blaring]
-[announcer] It was a sound
Yugoslavs had not heard
for real
since the Second World w*r,
and with it a realization
that after months of threats,
NATO was about to strike.
[expl*si*n booming]
[Chris Clarey] Novak grew up
in an environment
where when he was born,
Yugoslavia was as it was.
By 1991, when he was,
you know, four years old,
things had basically exploded.
-[g*nf*re]
-And the w*r and the breakup
just changed everything.
NATO reacted and bombed Serbia,
bombed Belgrade,
because Kosovo,
they viewed as an incursion
and what Serbians
viewed as a protection
of Serbian property.
[Miljan] For 78 days
going against the civilians,
sh**ting at hospitals,
at bridges,
civil infrastructure...
and saying that they
are like military targets.
[expl*si*n booming]
[Marko] At the beginning,
it was a horror story.
You cannot imagine
as a little kid
that something
like that can happen.
During the evenings,
you just hide
in your little home
that we lived in.
In a corner all together just
praying that nothing happens.
[Novak] One of those
first nights of the bombing,
our building did not
have a shelter.
So, we had to go
to another building.
We were running towards
that other building.
I-It's a horrifying sight
because this is 2:00, 3:00 a.m.
It was dark.
-[expl*si*n booming]
-[person shouting]
[Novak] You see people
running around panicking.
They don't know where to go,
trying to save their lives.
I tripped and I fell.
[people shouting]
I saw my family running
40, 50 feet in front of me,
and I tried to scream.
"Help me, help me!"
They didn't hear me.
They kept running.
I turned around
and I looked at our building,
and I saw a plane
dropping two bombs
into a nearby hospital.
[expl*si*n booming]
Standing in the rain
and darkness
on a bridge that may be bombed,
may be Belgrade's
most genuine show of defiance.
What these people do
is they stand here
with the target sign
on themselves
or wear one of these
target buttons,
which have become kind of the
new national symbol of Serbia.
And the collective view here
is that, "You can k*ll us,
but you cannot k*ll our spirit
or our country."
There's a word in Serbian
called inat.
When people doubt you,
when everyone
is basically against you,
that's when you use that inat,
that force of stubbornness
to prove everybody wrong.
And that inat is actually
quite widespread
in the mentality
of Serbian people.
[Miljan] People are saying
"Okay, you can k*ll me,
but f*ck you and your bombs."
And that is inat.
During those times,
they were really challenging
for our country.
Economically,
it was really hard to sustain
the financial demands
on a family...
for probably one of
the most expensive sports
that you could choose.
[chuckles]
The whole country
was struggling,
you know, economically.
I mean, people were literally
looking for shelter
and trying to save their lives
and not thinking
about tennis
or anything like that.
[Srdan speaking Serbian]
It is an expensive sport.
As a family, we earned
a decent income
but our earnings covered just
half of the annual expenses
for his career and development.
And we covered that deficit
by borrowing
from various lenders
who lent us money.
At that time,
when you borrowed money,
most of the times you borrowed
money from very wrong people,
unfortunately,
that were criminals.
So, all of the reserves
that we had,
he was giving
to pay off the debt.
[Marko] We could have
had a normal life,
a decent life,
buy an apartment or something,
but my dad was completely giving
everything for Novak's career,
and it was quite tough for me
as a younger brother
and-- and Djole
as a younger brother, too.
Our family was suffering
quite a bit
to have Novak
on the right path.
My parents went all in.
And that was just a gamble.
[Novak] I was 12,
and Jelena, I remember,
was speaking with my parents
and-- and telling them that,
"I can't help you
more than I did."
It's time for me to move
to a different place
with different coach
in Germany,
in Niki Pilic Tennis Academy,
one of the best
tennis academies in Europe.
My father,
he felt that
I was mature enough
to take some of the weight
and responsibilities
that he's been carrying.
So, he sat us all down
and he took out
ten deutschmarks
at that time,
which is equivalent to $10 now,
and he said,
"This is all we got.
"I'm going to do
everything possible
"that you live your dream.
"But there is one thing
that I ask from you.
"You have to be
100% dedicated to this,
'cause if I see
that you're not, it's done."
For me, it was the--
the worst day of my life,
I think, and the worst period
while he was there,
because we couldn't go
with him.
[Chris] Suddenly, being thrust
into a brand-new world
where you don't speak
the language,
carrying a load that a boy
should not be having to carry.
But I think he was able
to handle it in a way
that most 12-year-olds
wouldn't have been able
to handle it.
[ball thwacking]
[Novak] I had to become
more serious, more stern,
more stable, more of a man
rather than a boy.
I wasn't the Novak
that I was up to that point.
[man speaking English]
It's not easy
to leave the family.
13 years old.
I find out that Novak
is exceptionally good,
exceptionally coachable.
He was talented.
And his goal is,
"I would like to be number one."
[Novak] At that point,
everything was quite
clear in my mind.
I knew where I was going,
I knew what I wanted
to achieve.
And so, when I was 15, 16,
is when I really went pro, pro,
so to say, fully dedicated.
But we were still needing
to borrow money.
[speaking Serbian]
We are not simply
looking for money
that people give us
and don't get anything
in return.
Therefore, later, when Novak
becomes a professional player
and when he starts
getting good results
from prize money and
all the sponsor contracts
they will earn
what they invested in him
and a percentage
on top of that.
[speaking Serbian]
I will play a few more
junior tournaments
which will mostly be
Grand Slams,
but I am concentrating on
the professional competitions.
[Matthew Futterman] Tennis,
for years, has really thrived
in these binary worlds.
Laver-Rosewall.
Borg-McEnroe.
Sampras-Agassi.
The heirs to all of that
are Federer and Nadal.
[cheering and applause]
[Novak]
Federer and Nadal,
two players that have
big contrast in styles.
Nadal has an incredible
bull-like energy.
Tenacity, intensity.
Federer has elegance...
style, charisma.
It was a perfect kind
of Hollywood script.
Most of the Grand Slam finals,
they were facing each other.
They were number one
and two for years.
-[commentator] Oh!
-[crowd gasping]
[commentators shouting]
[cheering and applause]
[Matthew] People in tennis
like that world.
It's easy, it's simple.
It's Ali-Frazier.
And then, this guy
comes along from Serbia.
[commentator] Novak Djokovic
of Serbia and Montenegro.
Could be a few butterflies
in his tummy.
[applause]
Novak Djokovic makes his entry
onto Rod Laver Arena
at just 17 years of age.
What a moment for him.
[applause continues]
[Matthew]
He was young.
I'm not really sure how serious
he is about all of this.
[laughter]
[high-pitched exclaiming]
He would do the imitations
of other players.
You know,
whether it was my brother.
It was wide!
[shouting indistinctly]
[Pat McEnroe]
It was Sharapova,
he did a great imitation
of her.
[laughter]
[Novak] Having fun
doing impersonations,
you know, some people like
that funny side of me
that was bringing
the kind of good laughs
and good energy on the court.
[laughter]
[Matthew] Tennis is an
incredibly hierarchical place.
It wasn't considered
by certain people
that appropriate for someone
who hadn't won so much
to be making fun
of people who had.
[Jelena] I think tennis
has adopted a certain style
ever since the beginning.
Elite, lavish, expensive.
That's just-- pfft.
[marching band playing]
You need to be elegant
and sophisticated
to play the game, and you need
to be the chosen one.
Novak was not the chosen one.
[chuckles]
[commentator 1]
[laughing] That's, uh...
[commentator 2]
I know this one.
[commentator 1]
That's you, I believe.
[commentator 2]
I know this one.
[Pat] He's a jokester,
but he also had
this incredible intensity
about him.
[Novak] When I came on the tour,
I didn't care about Federer,
Nadal, or anyone else.
I just had a clear goal.
In my mind,
I wanna be number one.
I want to win Wimbledon.
I wanna make history
of this sport.
Everybody thinks,
you know, Nadal.
For sure, he's the best
on-- on this surface,
but he's not unbeatable,
that's for sure.
He's a little brash.
I think I-- I could win today.
You know, I have to say
that even though he's the best
and everybody thinks
that he's unbeatable,
I-- I say he's not unbeatable,
he's beatable.
Are you kidding me?
Djokovic, do you need
some smelling salts?
Do you-- you wanna incite Rafa?
I think the next time
he plays you,
he is gonna drop
the hammer on you.
You will never forget
saying that.
Here's a guy who sort of looks
and acts and feels different.
But, outrageous talent.
[grunting]
[announcer]
Game and first set, Djokovic.
Novak quickly started
establishing himself...
as one of the greatest
defensive players
that the game has seen.
He could just put the wall down
and wait for you to implode.
-[grunting]
-But he could transition
from defense to offense
probably better than anybody
that's ever played.
[crowd reacting]
[Andre]
It would just demoralize you.
[Pete Sampras] He's arguably
the best mover I've ever seen.
[crowd shouting]
He's got incredible feet,
he's got incredible stretch.
Incredible athletic ability.
I mean, I've never seen
anything like it.
[interviewer speaking English]
What's it like to play Novak?
Difficult. [laughing]
Intense.
I felt always that
I needed to be at my 100%
playing so well
to have real chances.
[announcer]
Game, Djokovic.
[Rafael] A lot of times
it will not be enough.
[commentator speaking English]
This is a masterclass
from Novak Djokovic.
Very seldom do you see
Nadal so outmaneuvered.
[commentator] He's done it!
[announcer]
Game, set, match, Djokovic.
[commentator] The tennis
was of the very highest order.
Perhaps, that's
what he needed to do
to be able to beat Nadal.
[Pat]
He had some great matches.
But he was also
a little bit fragile.
[commentator] Well, he's slumped
in the chair, Djokovic.
You know, like the MO
on Novak was,
oh, if it's hot
or if it's a long match,
he could wilt.
[commentator] Well, I think
what's happening, boys, here,
is that Novak wants to go
to the-- to the toilets
to throw up.
He's taking a medical
because he's feeling unwell,
so he needs to throw up.
[Chris] Bathroom breaks,
medical breaks.
[announcer] Ladies and
gentlemen, Mr. Djokovic
is now receiving
a medical timeout.
[Chris] Frankly, Novak,
first couple years,
was viewed as somebody
who engaged in gamesmanship.
[scattered applause]
The other players didn't like
his way of going about it.
[reporter] When asked
about his injuries today,
you know,
mentioning the right ankle
as opposed to the left ankle
the other day.
-Yeah, no, both of 'em?
-Yeah, both of 'em.
Yeah, and a back?
-[reporter] And the back.
-And a hip.
And what-- when he said
there are too many to count.
-And a cramp.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Do you get the sense
right now that he is--
-Bird flu.
-Yeah, a lot of things.
-Yeah. Yeah.
-Beijing Hangover. Yeah.
[reporter] I mean, he's got
a pretty long list
-of ailments.
-Anthrax.
SARS.
[interviewer] You know, you--
this crowd loves you.
You could turn 'em
against you real fast, you know.
Well, I know they're already
against me
because they think I'm faking
everything, so, sorry.
His stamina wasn't the best.
[chuckles]
So, he was very
frustrated about it,
and he was trying to figure out
how to resolve that.
-[grunting]
-Yeah!
-[announcer indistinct]
-[cheering and applause]
[Novak]
In 2010, I lost
in the quarters of French Open.
I went to my coach's hotel room
and I broke down in tears
and I said, I don't know
if I have what it takes.
I dreamed and I planned
always to be number one,
to win multiple Slams.
But I could not
solve the riddle
of Federer, Nadal
on a big stage.
I was just losing to these guys
most of the matches
that we played.
A lot of things had to be fixed.
[Gebhard Gritsch] I mean,
at that time he was quite young
and he was really mature
for his age.
One of the first things
he said,
"You work on my fitness,
"but I want to be
absolutely okay
and fit when I'm 40 years old."
When I met him, I realized that
I never met someone like him.
Never ever.
All different aspects
of his health,
he was trying to fine-tune.
[grunting]
[Novak] I made some corrections
in the way I train,
the way I think,
the way I eat,
sleep, recover, hydrate.
It all added up.
[Pat] To me,
the most fascinating part
was to see him continue
to develop his game.
His serve got better.
His net game got better.
His ability to accelerate
the forehand got better.
Every obstacle that came
his way, it got him stronger.
The kid who wilted became
the guy with the iron will.
-[grunting]
-[ball thwacking]
[cheering and applause]
[Boris Becker] It was the Rafa
and Roger show.
And then, you had this younger
player from Serbia...
bothering them,
starting to beat them,
starting to win the majors.
And that was surprising
to many people.
Including myself.
[Novak] I kind of broke
into this rivalry
saying that I feel like there
is room for another one.
[laughing]
You know,
table for three, please.
[Howard Bryant]
He had one major in 2010.
So, it wasn't like
he wasn't a good player.
-[cheering and applause]
-[announcer indistinct]
[commentator]
For the second time,
Novak Djokovic
ascends the mountain
and reaches the summit
in Melbourne.
[grunting]
[commentator] There's a new
champion at Wimbledon!
-Novak Djokovic!
-[cheering and applause]
[Novak]
Since I was 10 years old,
I dreamed always
to win Wimbledon.
Being able to share the joy,
it was the childhood dream.
[Jelena Gencic indistinct]
[speaking English]
I must see this trophy.
[both laughing]
It's a long time
we worked together.
[Novak]
I always wanted to do this.
-Her trophies, and--
-And your trophy.
But not any trophy.
[laughing] The one.
The one is here.
[Howard] After that first
Wimbledon championship...
he realized
that he had another gear.
[crowd cheering]
[Matthew]
I know exactly the moment,
I know exactly the point.
It was in the semifinals
of the US Open.
Roger Federer is serving
for the match.
[Marian Vajda]
Novak, his strength
is mental strength.
He can really sustain
most of the pressure...
at the most important moment.
[suspenseful music playing]
[cheering and applause]
Djokovic hit an outrageous
cross-court return.
[commentator]
That was gorgeous!
[Howard] The shot
that we all talk about...
means nothing if Roger
wins the next point.
It's 40-15.
5-3, 5th set, 40-15.
So, not only does Novak
make the shot,
Roger doesn't win another game.
[cheering and applause]
Here's Novak Djokovic,
the guy who's not tough enough
to finish a match.
And then suddenly,
he's at the top.
This changes everything.
[Matthew]
In some ways you would think,
oh, that's amazing
for the sport.
They have three headliners
going into a tournament.
But for a number
of different reasons,
uh, it's not quite
accepted that way.
And Novak is kind of looked at
as a party crasher.
[crowd roaring]
[commentator] It's Djokovic
who claims this classic!
6-4 in the fifth.
[Matthew] He's the one
coming in to mess up
this perfect buddy flick
that tennis has become.
[Howard] But once he becomes
a great player at their level,
once he's in 2015, 2016, 2017,
it's now a three-person race
to 30 majors, or whatever
that number was gonna be.
[commentator]
Djokovic wins again!
[cheering and applause]
[Howard]
Novak's goal is to win titles.
He's not just here,
he's winning, he's winning fast.
Novak's goal is to pass Roger.
-[crowd shouting]
-And he does.
But Roger set a new standard
for the men.
How does a champion
carry themselves?
You had to walk around and not
have a speck of dust on you.
You weren't allowed
to have a temper.
And Novak is a volcano.
[grunting]
[announcer]
Jeu, Nadal.
[cheering and applause]
[crowd jeering]
[announcer speaking English]
Unsportsmanlike conduct.
Warning, Mr. Djokovic.
[Matthew] Rafa is not somebody
who breaks rackets.
He's composed, he sort of keeps
his feelings inside.
But with Novak,
you're gonna hear about it.
[crowd gasping]
[crowd roaring]
[commentator] Whoa!
[speaking English]
The racket has been melted.
-[crowd booing]
-[Novak shouting indistinctly]
[Goran Ivanisevic]
It's so much tension,
so much emotions.
He wants to win.
And in the end,
he can yell and scream,
I don't care.
Do whatever you want,
just win the match.
[reporter] What's it been like
to be something of a bad guy
chasing after Roger and Rafa
all these years?
I don't consider myself
a bad guy,
but I mean, it's your opinion.
But, uh, I'm not
chasing anybody.
I'm making my own path
and my own journey,
and, you know,
my own histories.
Tennis is still a place
where I-- I feel
probably most comfortable,
to be honest with you.
Tennis court
was a sanctuary for me.
Because a lot of the things
that we are feeling today
are very much connected
to the traumas
that we experienced
when we were kids.
Particularly those years
where, you know,
there were problems everywhere.
Maturing very quickly.
I had to be kind of a parent
at 13 years old.
I wasn't able anymore
to express my feelings,
and I was a kid, I mean...
[chuckles]
You know, I should be
expressing everything,
you know, the joy,
the fear, the frustration,
the anger, the... anything.
But I was...
[pushing air]
[commentator] And it's all
become a bit too much
for Djokovic to handle.
He's furious.
[Novak]
The court was a place
where I could really get
all of these things out.
But I do understand why,
you know,
people didn't really like me,
uh, or maybe
still don't like me.
[ball thwacking]
[Andre]
When I coached him,
I really lifted up the hood
of what makes him tick.
He wants to be kind.
He wants to care.
He wants to be open.
He wants to receive.
But he can't win...
when he allows his heart
to go there.
[St. Vincent
sings "Broken Man"]
I was surprised how dark
he needed to feel
to get the most out of himself.
On the street,
I'm a king-sized k*ller
-I can make your...
-[crowd booing]
[Andre]
For Novak to do his job,
he needed fear or anger,
because with love
or appreciation,
-he lost his fangs.
-[crowd booing]
What are you looking at?
Who the hell
do you think I am?
That's definitely a factor
that motivates me, yeah.
[commentator] Oh-h*,
look at him, look at him!
If the the crowd starts
going against me,
I do use that to awaken
that warrior inside of me.
[crowd booing]
It's called inat.
Lover, nail yourself
right to me
If you go...
[Jelena]
It's embedded in our culture.
We have this stubbornness
in spite of whatever people say.
So, in spite of crowds
cheering against him,
he showed up
with his best game
and still managed to win.
[Novak] And to all those people
that have chosen
to disrespect me,
have a goooood night.
[laughter]
Like what are you
looking at?
Well, who the hell
do you think I am
When you look
at Novak Djokovic,
you can see when the fans
are booing him,
when they're giving him
that feeling
of being the villain,
even though he's the champion,
which we don't do to champions.
We don't make champions
villains very often.
His response
is to kick everybody's a*s.
I stopped cracking up
Who the hell
do you think I am?
Novak plays best
in a slight state of agitation.
[shouting indistinctly]
So, there might be one fan
who says something
that he doesn't like,
and he will make a point
to win the match.
And instead of turning
to his team and celebrating,
turn and point at the agitators
in the stands.
Who the hell
do you think I am?
Nail yourself right to me
Like you've never seen
a broken man
I won't be well
Who the hell
do you think I am?
My arms wide open
Like you've never seen
a broken man
I need you
to drive the nail
What are you looking at?
What are you looking at?
What are you looking at?
Hey, what are you
looking at?
What are you looking at?
What are you looking at?
[commentator]
Twenty-four and counting.
Twenty-four,
and he still wants more.
Hey
[violin music playing]
[announcer 1]
Tennis and the draw
for the Australian Open
has been made...
[announcer 2]
Djokovic will have to beat
not only Carlos Alcaraz
in the quarterfinals,
but the number-two seed
Alexander Zverev
in the semifinals,
and then Jannik Sinner,
the one seed in the finals...
[Novak] I think in any sport,
while you're on the top,
when you manage to reach
all your dreams,
how do you expand your ability
to master all of the obstacles
and challenges that you
have to face every day.
[speaking English]
First of all, we're doing
fun facts about the players.
In your case,
I would like to say
Novak Djokovic
speaks seven languages.
Novak Djokovic speaks
seven languages.
Oh, sorry, you gotta
walk with me.
[laughter]
All the demands,
all the requirements,
all the people,
the media, everything,
all the pressures
and expectations.
[Andre]
The times I've been around him,
it's hard to get him
anywhere on time,
because he always
has time for anybody.
[Novak speaking French]
Would you like a photo?
Camera. Mm-hmm.
[Andre] He cares,
he listens, he processes.
He's interested.
[cameras clicking]
[Novak] All the things that
go through your mind
on a daily basis,
how do you
maintain the private
versus professional
life balance?
[interviewer]
Can you juggle for me, Novak?
You have kids,
you have your wife,
you have siblings,
you have your parents.
[speaking English]
You're getting close to the age
where you need to lie about your
age for different reasons.
[laughter]
They have expectations from you.
[speaking English] Blessings
to the people of India.
[Novak] They, of course,
support you, love you,
but they're your closest people
in your life,
so you have to be there,
available to them, for them.
-[person] Thank you, Mark.
-[Novak] Have a nice day.
Thank you. Bye-bye.
So, I'm kind of in between,
many times feeling
torn apart emotionally.
[Novak speaking Serbian]
-[speaking Serbian]
-[Jelena] He definitely has
mixed feelings about
his retirement.
One side of him is excited
because there's so much
to do in this world.
And then, there's like,
"Hey, but I love
what I've achieved.
"I feel like I can push longer.
Should I?
Because this might not be
the best thing for my family."
Now, I'm enabling him
with having us around.
Like, I'm trying to balance it,
but he will find his way out.
I don't want to be the one
telling him how.
Mm-mm.
That's not gonna be on me.
[Andre] I don't know when
the end will come for Novak,
but the one thing I can say
is that the end,
when it does come,
always comes fast.
I would hope for him
that he doesn't wait too long,
not because
he can't win anymore.
But because tennis
takes your childhood.
But then, it gives you a chance
to be done with your success
so that you can
raise your children
without the preoccupations.
Drop shot, ah!
-[Novak vocalizing]
-[Stefan indistinct]
[speaking Serbian]
[Jelena] I think he's
the happiest with our kids.
He just enjoys being a father,
and when he's
in a father's role,
he's very playful.
[Novak speaking Serbian]
[both grunting]
[Jelena] Our son Stefan awakens
the child in him on the court.
[Novak speaking Serbian]
But also, he has a daughter.
[cheering and applause]
[commentators speaking English]
The violin is for his daughter.
Why are people booing?
I have no idea.
Because they think that he is
making fun of them,
but he's not.
When he loses,
he's questioning
his whole identity.
He goes to this
avoidant mode of like,
"Leave me alone, like,
just close the door."
And Tara, when he wants
to isolate, she doesn't let him.
He's so in love with her
that she has the access
that nobody does.
And so, she turns him
back to us.
That's Daddy's girl.
He's living the childhood that
he never had through our kids.
-[Tara screaming excitedly]
-[Novak laughing]
[Jelena] We were
under sanctions, bombings.
It scars you.
Consistency, and love,
and care, and nurturing,
this is what our parents didn't
have a chance to give to us.
-[all speaking Serbian]
-[all blowing]
Bravo.
[Jelena]
You wanna be with your family.
That's where your belonging is.
But at the same time,
the love for tennis
and the passion for him
is so great and so big
that he cannot just,
you know, not do it.
-Ah!
-[Stefan laughs]
Ah!
[Novak] I consider myself
a very dedicated father.
But considering that I am
at the highest level
professional athlete...
there's always a consequence.
I do feel still some guilt
when I leave
and when I see them cry.
That's the hardest part.
[Novak chuckles]
[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct chatter continues]
And we have, like, this little
tradition that they always--
when I leave for a trip,
they would take a glass of water
and when I walk
out of the door
they would spill
the water behind me.
It's a tradition
in our country,
-kind of as a good luck.
-[car horn honking]
And so, we leave to some extent
with smiles on our faces,
but it's still-- still tough.
Awesome.
But now, my wife has been
incredible with support.
She's trying to reduce
that feeling of guilt
that I have
by packing the bags
and traveling with kids
to the tournaments with me.
Um, you know, we're trying
to balance things out
because I don't also want
my kids to live my life.
They need to live their life.
There's the point.
Ah!
[person clapping]
Well done.
[kiss smacking]
[soft violin music playing]
[rain pattering]
[woman speaking English]
How do you feel?
I feel like I wanted to sleep
a little bit more.
[both laughing]
Actually, my kids, they haven't
overcome the jet lag.
-Mm-hmm.
-So, they stayed...
you know, up late
and late, uh, wake up,
so I kind of followed
that rhythm.
And... [chuckles]
...it's not working
really well for today.
But it's good, it's okay.
I'm, uh,
you know, I think, um,
if I look back
in my 20-year Grand Slam career
and-- and see where I played
my best tennis,
where I achieved my biggest
Grand Slam results,
where I felt the best overall
on and off the court, uh,
consistently, it was here.
But I had a--
a negative experience
a few years back.
And I-- I still feel
a slight bitterness
that most of the people
don't understand what happened.
[Steve Weissman] The biggest
story in tennis right now
surrounding world number one,
Novak Djokovic.
His visa has been denied
and he is expected
to be leaving Australia.
We do not know if he will
be able to compete
in the Australian Open
this year.
99% of people don't know
what actually happened
and they don't have--
they think that I was...
deported from Australia
because I was not vaccinated.
And that's not true.
In order to travel
to Australia,
you either had to be vaccinated,
or if you were not vaccinated,
you had to give evidence
that you had corona
in the previous six months.
I was not vaccinated,
but I had corona twice
in the six months,
so I was eligible.
So, I've got
the special exemption.
I told my wife,
I want to post that
on my Instagram
before I leave.
And she said,
"There's no reason to post that.
"You can just post
that you're, you know,
"departing to Australia
and you're excited to go there.
And that's it."
And I said...
[clicking tongue]
So, we wrote the caption,
and then I added
that last sentence.
So, we were debating
the night before.
She said, "Don't add
that last sentence."
I said, "I need to add
this last sentence."
Another reason why you should
listen to your wife's instinct.
He really insisted
on saying out loud
that he wasn't vaccinated...
which I-- I just
didn't agree with it.
I said, "Look, it's your choice.
"Please, like,
don't elaborate on it
because there are other people
thinking differently."
And from the moment
he posted on Instagram,
pff, the hell opened.
[Matthew] Victoria, which is
where Melbourne is,
had been subject to harder
and longer lockdowns
than just about
anywhere in the world.
It's a really long plane ride
from where he was.
And in that time,
that post goes
all across the world.
By the time his plane lands,
the whole country is basically
in something of a tizzy.
I arrive, passport control.
I already see
a couple of the officers
coming from the immigration zone
looking at me.
I'm starting to feel
something isn't right.
They ask me
to come with them.
I don't get a stamp.
I go into that immigration zone
and I stay there
from 11:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.
From that moment,
I'm getting the message, like,
"I'm at the airport,
they're keeping me.
Not sure what's happening."
And it's like, I'm like,
what-- what do you mean?
Like, "They're taking
away my phone.
Sorry, I will--"
you know, I'm like...
Novak Djokovic
has been detained in Australia
ahead of a court hearing
that will determine
whether the tennis star
can stay in the country.
There was a perception,
rightly or wrongly,
that he'd been given
favorable treatment,
that he was being
given an opportunity
to enter the country
under conditions
where other people
weren't given that chance.
He became a villain.
He became a target.
[Jelena]
He said it out loud.
If he did not say it out loud,
if he didn't brag about it--
probably that's how
they took it.
Like, they wanted
everybody to comply.
The moment you have one guy who
is going against the current,
that's bad for everyone.
Now, what we have is a guy
who has shown a continued--
and in this episode,
a continued pattern
of evasions of the truth
and contempt for the rules
that apply to everyone else.
He is a pampered,
entitled, uh, sports star
who thinks he can game
the system.
[Novak]
I was made villain
more than I have ever...
[laughing]
...been before
in the tennis circles.
Now, I was a villain
of the world.
If Djokovic really wants
to be a winner,
I would say be a winner
and send a safe message
to the population
by getting vaccinated.
[interviewer speaking English]
Why weren't you vaccinated?
Because I didn't feel like
I needed it.
Why?
Why should I get a vaccine?
You know, I'm healthy.
I'm an athlete.
I had corona.
I have protection.
I'm not a threat to anybody.
Why should I get vaccinated?
It's my freedom to choose,
which that fundamental right
that you have
as a human being on this planet,
freedom to choose,
was taken away from a lot
of people on this planet.
The verdict is in.
Novak Djokovic is out
at the Australian Open.
[Scott Spits] His case was
heard at the federal court,
and then ultimately the federal
government's decision
to cancel his visa was upheld
by the federal court,
and he was deported
on the eve of the tournament.
Australia was one of
the countries
that had biggest lockdown.
They didn't want...
someone of a profile
like myself
who is known in that country,
and everyone knowing
that I'm not vaccinated
coming in their country,
playing a tournament,
staying for a month or whatever,
and then leaving,
where people from Australia
were not able
to come back home,
were not allowed.
So, yeah, to some extent,
I do understand that they--
they felt that pressure.
But you know,
it was not my fault.
So later on, I find out
there is another two people--
one was a player,
one was a coach--
that entered the country based
on the same medical exemption.
So, it was--
it was all political.
It had nothing to do
with medical,
it has nothing to do
with anything.
It was just political.
I never said
I'm against vaccine
or pro-vaccine.
Even the anti-vax movement...
claimed that I'm their hero,
and like, that, you know--
I've never associated myself
with any anti-vax
or pro-vax or anything.
I'm pro-freedom to choose...
what you are going to do
with the integrity of your body.
And by the way,
I missed Slams
and tournaments.
I didn't play in America
for a couple of years
because I was not vaccinated.
That's fine.
But in Australia,
I was allowed.
So, I'm not the scientist.
I'm not the one who is--
who is setting the rules.
I'm-- I'm not the one
who should debate that.
I stood up
for what I believe in.
I-- I stand for protection
of my integrity
and what I-- what I think
is best for my body,
and that's it.
[interviewer speaking English]
How did it feel
to return the next year?
Strange at the beginning.
But there was
that extra significance.
I needed to win
this Australian Open.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer]
Game, Djokovic.
[grunting]
[Novak]
I was able to come back
after what happened
12 months before
and use that as a fuel to win.
[crowd roaring]
[announcer]
Game, set, match, Djokovic.
[commentator]
He's a perfect 10.
That's why in the end I...
[exhales sharply]
...in my mother's
and my brother's arms.
[cheering and applause]
[commentator] He is the best
player on the planet again.
[crowd continues roaring]
He is not just the heir
to greatness.
He is greatness.
[dramatic music playing]
[fan] Novak, whoo!
[Matthew] Djokovic winning
the Australian Open ten times,
absolutely outrageous
accomplishment.
Now, he's going
for his 25th Grand Slam,
trying to win it again.
[cheering and applause]
[Jim Courier] There are a lot
of question marks
over whether the passion
and the fury
that's fueled him
would be there in 2025,
because at times,
it hadn't been there
for him in 2024.
[Mary] He can't even finish
the French Open
because he tore his meniscus.
He goes from the French Open
where he got hurt
to grass at Wimbledon,
where he'd only been out
of surgery a couple weeks,
to red clay for the Olympics,
to hard courts to finish off
the Grand Slam calendar.
Do you know what that
does to your body?
He shows up
at the US Open, man.
He-- he had nothing left.
[crowd gasps]
[cheering and applause]
He certainly didn't finish
the season
with the same kind of vigor that
we're used to seeing with him,
and there were a lot
of question marks.
[reporter 1]
You're 36 years old now.
Does it feel like you're finally
starting to play
at your own age
after such an insane period?
[reporter 2]
Is your hope, intention
to be back here next year?
[reporter 3]
Do you have a plan on--
like a retirement plan?
Do you plan on going out...
[Andre]
I could see his frustration
in having to answer questions
about retirement.
But at the same time, I can also
see that being part of the fuel
that he might access
to continue.
He needs to do
what either in his mind
or other people's mind
is not achievable.
[dramatic music playing]
[fans chanting]
[commentator]
Welcome to the big time.
Welcome to the Australian Open,
and welcome to the greatest
player of his generation.
[announcer]
Novak Djokovic to serve.
-[cheering and applause]
-[announcer] Game, Djokovic.
[dramatic music
continues playing]
[players grunting]
[commentator]
This is what they came to see!
[dramatic music
continues playing]
[Novak grunting]
[crowd roaring]
[announcer] Game, set,
and match, Djokovic.
[commentator] Signature shot
to finish it off.
[crowd gasping]
[crowd roaring]
[commentator]
A showstopping rally
from the man who is
so difficult to beat here.
He is through
to the quarterfinals
here in Oz for a 15th time.
[Novak] I delivered some
good shots, good tennis.
Those are mental bonus points,
'cause I know
that my next opponent, Alcaraz,
for example, was watching,
for sure, my match tonight
and was trying to analyze
and see,
you know, what happens
and where he's gonna see...
uh, some maybe loopholes
and weaknesses
that he can attack and--
and expose in a few days' time.
[announcer]
Djokovic is gonna need
every last ounce of energy,
intensity, incredible play,
because Carlos Alcaraz
is coming.
It's the only major
he hasn't won.
So, you're talk about
a matchup with Novak...
[announcer voice fades out]
[Andre]
Novak, Roger,
and Rafa played this game
all so differently
and all so great
in their own way.
And now, you see players,
specifically Alcaraz,
that plays like all three
of them whenever he wants.
The game does get better.
[dramatic music playing]
[Howard] It is my favorite
period of an athlete.
It is the lion in winter period.
You know that the end is near.
[fans chanting]
Nole! Nole! Nole!
[Howard] Now, you're going
to use all the reserves,
all the experience,
all the history,
all the heart, all the drive.
Because at some point,
you can't do this anymore.
[dramatic music
continues playing]
But who's standing
in front of you?
Alcaraz.
And he's standing
in front of you in Melbourne
on your court
where you've won ten times.
And he's also hungry
because you just beat him
in Paris for a gold medal.
There hasn't been as much buzz
for a quarterfinal match
in a major
as there was for this one.
[commentator 1]
Anticipation of this match.
I mean, the second
the draw was made,
people were like, "Oh, my God."
Okay.
[commentator 2]
This is the quarter.
[commentator 1]
Get ready for Tuesday night
down in Melbourne.
[Andre]
Novak starts the match off
and he's far from
the best of himself.
-[line judge] Out!
-[applause]
[Andre] He's like a boxer
that needs to get hit
before he actually gives you
his full attention.
But if somebody's
gonna push him...
you would see
epic staying power.
[grunting]
[crowd groaning]
[line judge] Out!
[players grunting]
[crowd roaring]
[commentator 1]
Genius!
[commentator 2]
When will Father Time
catch up to this guy?
[crowd exclaiming]
[commentator 1] Unbelievable!
And Djokovic is feeling it.
Looks to me like
he's laboring a bit, John.
[commentator 2] I-- I think
it was something happened...
the previous shot.
-[Pat] Late in the first set...
-[Novak groans sharply]
[Pat]
...Novak kind of pulls up
running wide for a ball,
and right away, like,
you know, this could be over.
[commentator] Well, you had
the comment, John, early on
that Father Time is undefeated.
[announcer]
Ladies and gentlemen,
Djokovic is now receiving--
[commentator 1]
They just started the clock.
[commentator 2] Okay, it's
a three-minute medical timeout.
[Novak] When I went out
for the off-court treatment,
I didn't think
that I would be able
to finish the match,
to be honest.
[commentator] Alright, Djokovic
out pretty quickly, actually,
and appears he's got, uh...
that right groin area
bandaged up.
[Novak] I wouldn't be able
to win against Alcaraz
if I had 10% less ability
to-- to move the way
I normally move.
And so, I said, let's take
all the painkillers, meds,
anti-inflammatories.
Let's do everything possible.
[players grunting]
[commentator 1] And I think
at this point, Djokovic is in
the assessment phase
of where he is now,
and what he can do
and can't do.
[commentator 2]
And trying to weather this
till presumably some type
of pain meds kick in.
Looks like this set's over.
[cheering and applause]
[commentator 1]
And Alcaraz not affected at all
as he holds at Love.
[Carlos Gomez-Herrera]
In that moment,
Novak did what he does
on certain occasions,
where he's like, "Okay,
"I'm hurt.
Unless I am crazy aggressive,
I'm not winning this match."
[commentator 1]
He's gonna have to throw
the proverbial kitchen sink
to have any chance
of just staying in this.
[commentator 2]
It's starting to look like
an extremely tall order.
Even for him.
-Still serving big though.
-[announcer] Game, Djokovic.
[commentator 1] Yeah, nice way
to start the second set.
[Andre] He's probably
as strong mentally
as anybody I've ever seen.
He has a capacity for pain...
that I think is unmatched.
It's like the harder
something gets,
the more locked in he gets,
and he's willing
to go the distance.
[players grunting]
[cheering and applause]
[commentator] There's another
clean winner from Djokovic.
[Novak]
The adrenaline combination
of the effect of the pills
and everything, it all helped.
[commentator 2] Look at this.
Another ace.
[cheering and applause]
[crowd roaring]
[commentator 1]
Well, Djokovic may be wounded,
but he's still swinging.
[Pat]
Alcaraz is a lot of things,
but he's not a street fighter.
You talk about
the ultimate street fighter,
Novak, like, h-he'll beat you
fair and square.
"But if I gotta go down
and go to the wall
"and become a street fighter,
I'll do that, too.
Are you gonna do that?"
[commentator]
And there's the set.
[announcer]
Game and second set, Djokovic.
[players grunting]
-[commentator] And that's good.
-[crowd exclaiming]
-[commentator 2] Look at that.
-[crowd exclaiming]
The serve has been
unbelievable from Djokovic.
[ball thwacking]
-[shoes squeaking]
-[players grunting]
[crowd exclaiming]
[crowd roaring]
[announcer]
Game and third set, Djokovic.
[Novak] It is, in the end
of the day, a very mental game
because
it's a non-contact sport, but...
as close to the contact
as you can be, in a sense.
Almost like gladiator
versus gladiator in the arena.
You wanna see
your opponent feeling weak.
You can feel that from
the other side of the net.
You can sense
that he's doubting himself.
[commentator] Oh-h*!
He's everywhere right now.
As a predator on the court,
you wanna jump on that
and use that.
[players grunting]
[crowd roaring]
[commentator]
He was compelling,
he was commanding!
And ultimately, he was just
a little too cunning
for his younger opponent.
-[announcer indistinct]
-[cheering and applause]
[commentator] He takes down
Alcaraz in four.
4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4...
in a Rod Laver masterclass.
[cheering and applause continue]
[gentle music playing]
[people chattering]
[children exclaiming]
[Novak indistinct]
[kisses smacking]
-[indistinct]
-[kiss smacking]
[fan] [clapping] Bravo, Nole!
[light cheering and applause]
[soft, dramatic music playing]
[Novak]
My team wanted to do an MRI.
I said, I really don't think
that I should do an MRI
or ultrasound,
because I know what it is.
It's a tear.
Whether it's
a one-centimeter tear, or half,
or two or three,
what does it matter?
I mean, I-- I wanna give
myself a chance
to be on the court in semis...
'cause I had two days.
I feel like
we should try to use
every available minute
to recover.
[interviewer speaking English]
Novak, how does
the physical recovery
at this stage of your career
compare to the mental recovery?
Physically,
I'm able to recover.
Mentally, no,
I'm not able to recover.
Mentally,
I'm at the stage where...
I'm almost losing my mind.
[speaking Serbian]
You would think logically
because when you age
you have more experience,
that you would know
how to deal mentally
and emotionally
with stress, with pressure.
But the body is maybe not
listening to you as much.
For me, it's vice versa.
[sighs] The brain...
is, um...
it's like it has had enough.
The practice days and...
-[reporters] Novak.
-[Novak] Media.
And the expectations.
It's mostly about
my own expectations.
[indistinct chatter]
People think like,
"Oh, you know,
"you've achieved
so many great things
and now you should enjoy."
I cannot enjoy.
[indistinct chatter]
[Novak]
If I have to compete...
if I have to put myself
on the biggest stage...
that carries
so much weight for me.
It's not only about that match.
It's about my reputation.
It's about everything.
[crowd chanting]
Nole! Nole!
There are days
where I feel like...
I feel like I'm the best.
There are days where
I'm doubting myself, uh, a lot.
It's like, and then
I'm questioning whether,
you know, I can keep up
with the level of the best guys.
But I cannot be 100%
dedicated to tennis.
It's not my life anymore.
I need to be, you know,
the-- the husband, the father.
I need to be
all of the other things.
[Tara giggling]
[Novak]
This is the battle.
How long should I do this?
W-Why am I putting myself
and my family through this
over and over again?
[interviewer speaking English]
Does a match like tomorrow
does that help or make it
more difficult, mentally?
More difficult.
There's part of me that is,
like, looking forward
to the challenge,
but part of me is like...
[exhales sharply]
You know.
I have to use my reservoirs
again and again and again.
And I want to prove
people wrong, you know,
that's also one
of the motivations, of course.
But most of all,
I want to prove myself wrong.
[chuckles]
Because I have that inner voice
that is like, you-- you know.
I-It's doubting,
you can't go on,
you know, not-- you're not--
you're not at the level
where, you know, that where
you can win Slam...
anymore, you know?
And deal with this reality.
[commentator]
There's a lot of challenges
ahead for Djokovic,
and I think that's why
he's still doing this, Chris,
why he's still playing,
why he's still trying
to win majors.
He's done it all,
he's the greatest of all time.
But to beat Alcaraz,
the three seed,
now to take on
the number two seed,
if he can get by Sascha Zverev,
which I think he can,
and I think he will...
[Matthew] I honestly had stopped
being particularly concerned
about the leg.
He's just built differently.
His body's capable of responding
to moments of stress.
[announcer] Please welcome
to Rod Laver Arena,
from Germany, Alexander Zverev!
[cheering and applause]
[commentator 1]
The good story for Zverev
is he's been really fresh.
[commentator 2]
He said to us, he said,
"Listen, I feel the best
I've felt in a long time."
And please welcome ten-time
Australian Open champion
from Serbia, Novak Djokovic.
[cheering and applause]
[commentator 1]
All eyes on this guy
in the first few games to see
if there's any hints
that he might not
be totally ready.
[Jim] None of us knew
how the recovery had gone.
We're all hoping
that he's gonna be healthy.
[players grunting]
[crowd exclaiming]
-[commentator 1] Unbelievable!
-[announcer] Game, Djokovic.
[cheering and applause]
[announcer]
Game, Djokovic.
[Novak] We played
a couple of tough rallies.
And I did a couple
quick movements.
I started to feel
even more pull.
[crowd gasping]
[crowd groaning, applause]
[commentator 1]
He's not feeling right.
That's my opinion.
[commentator 2]
Something is going on.
[commentator 3]
Novak walking very slowly.
[fans] [chanting]
Nole! Nole!
He was avoiding extreme.
[commentator 1]
Djokovic not quite right.
[commentator 2] Got a delivery
from the-- the pharmacy.
[Novak] I just wasn't able
to generate the speed.
[commentator] He's not even
gonna run for this.
He's feeling it
right now, Djokovic.
[commentator 2] Yeah,
not at 40-Love, for sure.
Saving the energy
for this tiebreak.
It just wasn't working.
-[crowd exclaiming]
-[announcer] Game, set.
[commentator]
Flubs the volley.
[cheering and applause]
This is a handshake.
-[commentator 2] It's over.
-It's a handshake.
[Matthew] I remember turning
to someone and saying,
like, wait, is he quitting?
Yeah, it became
completely apparent
that he was done
after one set.
[crowd chattering]
[commentator 1] The crowd
is absolutely stunned.
[commentator 2] Stunned.
[commentator 1]
He came forward to shake hands,
-and this is disappointing.
-[commentator 2] Well, yeah.
[commentator 1] The drive
for 25 ends right here.
It's not just a match,
how much he invests.
And that investment
is not something
that people, they can see.
[crowd chattering]
[commentator 1]
This is-- this hurts all of us
to see him go out like this.
[crowd cheering and jeering]
I can't believe
people are booing.
That's just horrendous.
I was shocked.
[commentator 2] Guy has poured
everything he's got
-into this sport...
-[commentator 1] Yep. Yep.
[commentator 2]
...winning ten previous titles.
[crowd continues booing]
[Carlos] It's very sad
to see that from a crowd.
[interviewer speaking English]
Do you think
that it bothers him?
Of course. Of course.
He's human.
[Novak]
I felt the bitterness
when I was exiting the court
with that atmosphere
and people booing.
But it is what it is.
In some way,
I understand that people,
they want a match,
they paid tickets,
they wanna come and, you know,
they want to see you perform.
I get it.
I know in my heart that...
[softly chuckles]
...you know, if I am able to
leave it all out on the court,
particularly at age 37,
semifinals of a Grand Slam...
I will do it because it
might be my last semifinals
in my career, I don't know.
[reporter] Is there a chance
that this might be
your last Australian Open?
I don't know. [sighs]
There is a chance.
Who knows?
If I feel like
it's not possible
for me to do what I do
and on the level
that is necessary
to be able to play
five sets potentially,
then I'm not gonna do it.
As simple as that,
and I don't expect
all the people
to understand that.
[Howard] The negative quotient
that he has,
I've never seen it that high
for a player
of his accomplishments.
A 24-time Grand Slam champion
get booed in a major?
When he's obviously injured?
Most times the public
turns towards you
when you're at the end,
because they respect
what you did.
And then, he gets booed?
[crowd booing]
[Jelena] He carries that burden
that he's never enough.
No matter how much he does,
it will never be enough.
Tennis is a fulfilling place
for him.
It's a place where he feels...
he feels worthy.
[Novak] The curse of achieving
every possible achievement
that you could in our sport
is that anything less than that
is not good enough.
The feeling of not good enough
has been with me
for a very long time,
it's still with me.
Others might try to fool me
by saying,
"Hey, you had a great
Australian Open.
"You played semis.
You beat Alcaraz,
"one of the best players
in the world,
and you played great, amazing."
Yeah, yeah, but...
not good enough.
[Howard] If Novak Djokovic
won 15 majors,
the crowd would love him.
Because that would mean
he was one of the all-time
great champions,
but he didn't threaten
Roger and Rafa.
People would love Novak more
if he didn't threaten
the order.
But to have Novak
not threaten the order...
is to not have Novak Djokovic.
He's here to threaten
the order.
[Mary] He still has
something to prove.
He's gotten to the point where
he's breaking his own records.
You're battling yourself.
How do you know when it's
a good time to stop doing that?
[Novak]
I truly feel still young.
I don't know when
I'm going to finish my career.
It might be one year
or it might be another 15 years.
I don't know.
As long as I have the drive...
the passion...
and most of all, as long
as I feel I can win tournaments
and I can be one of the best
players in the world,
I want to keep going.
-[ball thwacking]
-[Novak grunting]
The number-one doubter is here.
I'm the number-one doubter...
and I'm trying
to prove myself wrong
more than anybody else.
[dramatic music playing]
[howling]
[crowd chanting]
Nole! Nole! Nole! Nole!
[commentator]
Djokovic, big underdog tonight.
[crowd continues chanting]
Nole! Nole! Nole!
[dramatic violin music
playing]
[crowd chanting]
Nole! Nole! Nole!
-[crowd roaring]
-[commentator] Oh, it's insane!
The ten-time
Australian Open champion
digs deep at age 38.
[crowd chanting]
Nole! Nole! Nole!
-[line judge] Out!
-[commentator] He's done it!
[crowd roaring]
Novak Djokovic
rolls back the years.
Dethroned Sinner.
[Novak] You guys have been
incredible tonight,
-honestly incredible.
-[cheering and applause]
I love our passionate
relationship.
Every year is something
different, you know?
[laughter]
I think you guys got your value
for the ticket today,
-that's for sure.
-[cheering and applause]
That's for sure.
Thank you from the bottom
of my heart.
Thank you.
[crowd chanting]
Nole! Nole! Nole! Nole!
[crowd continues chanting]
Nole! Nole! Nole! Nole!
Nole! Nole! Nole!
Nole! Nole! Nole!
[gentle, dramatic music
playing]
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Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter (2026)
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