понедељак, 06. феб 2012, 21:02 -> 23:09
Love is my strength
On the eve of the annual "Laureus" academy award for the sportsman of the year, Novak Djokovic spoke for the Serbien Broadcasting Corporation about his family, his girlfriend, the way world perceives him and influence he now exerts. If I can serve as a role model, to some child, aspiring tenis player, an athlete in general, a young person who strives to embrace a healthy lifestyle, if I can be of any assistence, I will be exuberant, said world's best tenis player.
"Love of my girlfriend, love of my brothers, love of my parents, affection of my friends, of all those people that I cherish the most in life... That is precisely where I derive my positive energy on the court from, energy that enables me to persevere", was the first thing Djokovic said.
Do you realize that for many people, people that only catch glimpses of you and don't know you personally, you are precisely that, source of inspiration, confidence, energy? And bear in mind, those are people that you never saw in your life.
"I am extremely pleased if I can affect someone's life in that manner. It is a fact, I am proud of everything that I have accomplished, everything that I have done during the course of my career thus far, and if I can serve as a role model, to some child, aspiring tenis player, an athlete in general, a young person who strives to embrace a healthy lifestyle, if I can be of any assistence, I will be exuberant".
Have you noticed that people around you have changed in the past decade, in terms of their relationship and attitude towards you? Maybe you have changed, matured in a way? I heard that Boris Becker was once quoted saying that, in fact, people around hin changed, instead of him.
"Well, I try not to change. I am well aware that circumstances and situations around me are constantly shifting. Attention that I know receive as world's number one tenis player is utterly different from the one I got in the last couple of years. I understand that, the way public now perceives me, my career, my personality, is not the same. On the other hand, my attitude, my habits, have remained the same. The same applies to the people around me, because I have the same friends, who have been integralpart of my life since I was six or seven. My family is very close-knit. My girlfriend has been with me for the past six and a half years, and I honestly see no reason why I should change anything in my life. Temptetions, as I mentioned before, are everywhere, with myriad of choices and enticements, so to speak, that appear utmost appealing. Man learns from his mistakes, from his experiences, everyday brings a new lesson, but what I have learned, that philosophy in a way that I ahere to, are that simplicity and balance are of pivotal value in one's life".
I will ask you something now, a question that may seem too direct and indiscrete, but I am under impression that, for instance, Rafael Nadal drastically changed his interaction with you in the past year and a half. And one other thing, if you would, did you notice, and if so what might be the reason behind it, that you often applaude when an opponent scores a point that exhibits a certain level of skill, but no one does that when the same happens to you?
"Interesting observation, I certainly am in no position to judge, because every individual, every person is inherently different. I can't tell what is a right thing to do, and what isn't, because everyone tries to do whatever he deems best. I respect everyone's opinion and everyone's actions. I abide by a certain philosophy in life, I try to be consistent. We all come from intrinsicaly different cultures and backgrounds. I stick to the belief that Nadal is an amazing athlete and a sportsman. I have profound respect for all my greatest rivals and colleagues. My goal is to continue to do what I do best, we all simply try to do our best and to win on the court. It all comes down to that. When we step off the court, I assure you, everyone acts differently. In private life, everyone has that different face, a trait of their character that until then remained suppressed. On the court, it is really hard to behave like that, because after all, you are there to win".
