Novak Djokovic admits he may have made a mistake after helping Jannik Sinner

The best tennis player in history, Novak Djokovic, gave an increasingly relaxed interview to the American comedian and actor Kevin Hart.

 

While sitting in an ice bath, he was asked a question about one of his biggest rivals, Jannik Sinner. The Italian recently defeated him at Wimbledon, so the Serbian joked that maybe he shouldn’t have given him advice when he was still at the start of his career.

 

It’s no secret that Novak helped everyone who asked him for his opinion, and Sinner was among the young hopefuls he helped.

 

“I gave him [Sinner] all the spiel of everything I noticed on the court […] the next 3 years, he beats me at Wimbledon every year! So, maybe I made a mistake, I don’t know!” Novak said.

 

He disclosed how Darren Cahill approached him and directly asked what he thought of Sinner’s game. Djokovic did not hesitate in the slightest, as he gave him suggestions that meant a lot to him in breaking through to the very top of tennis.

 

“If in the 20 years I’ve been playing tennis, I’ve managed to influence and inspire the new generation to play better than I did in my prime, I’m happy because that’s the whole point.

 

You can’t keep everything you’ve learned and achieved in your head, you have to share it. I try to be open-hearted, I talk to them whenever they turn to me,” said Novak (as translated from Serbian media) and revealed that Darren Cahill asked him for advice on one occasion:

 

“Sinner’s coach spoke to me when I beat him once at Wimbledon, he was young then, and he is young now, I think it was three years ago. He asked me: ‘What do you think about him? What should we work on?

 

If you don’t want to say because you are rivals, if you see him as a threat, I understand’. I said: ‘No, no, no, I want it to share with you'”.

 

The Italian was relentless at Wimbledon this season, managed to defend the trophy, and just beat Novak in the semifinals. A new chance to watch two tennis masters will be at the US Open.

 

—Head to head—

 

The current official head-to-head record between Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic is 7-5 in favor of the Italian tennis player.

 

Sinner has taken the lead in this rivalry thanks to impressive dominance in recent meetings, especially in Grand Slam tournaments, including their last match played in the semifinals of Wimbledon, where the Italian won in three routine sets with a score of 6:4, 6:4, 6:4.

 

The rivalry between the two tennis players is divided between the period of Djokovic’s dominance and Sinner’s incredible rise to the top spot of the ATP rankings.

 

On outdoor hard courts, Sinner leads 2-1. The Italian won at the Masters in Shanghai in 2024 and in the famous semifinals of the Australian Open in 2024, while Djokovic got his revenge by winning in five sets at the same tournament in Melbourne.

 

On indoor hard courts, the record is tied 1-1. Both matches were played at the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin, where Sinner won the group stage, while Djokovic won the final and lifted the trophy.

 

On grass, Djokovic leads 2–1. The Serbian celebrated after a major turnaround when he came back from 0:2 down in sets at Wimbledon in 2022, as well as in the 2023 semifinals, while Sinner won the last head-to-head match on this surface in the Wimbledon semifinals.

 

On clay, the record is tied at 1-1. Djokovic won their first meeting in Monte Carlo in 2021, while Sinner celebrated in the semifinals of Roland Garros.

 

Tennis players want to stop Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner has established himself as the most dominant figure in world tennis in recent years, and most players are still trying to find a way to stop his incredible game. The Italian is a tennis player who does not allow his opponents to easily impose their rhythm, because during the entire match he applies enormous pressure, adapts to situations very well and constantly creates serious problems.

 

Carlos Alcaraz seems to be the only real challenger to Jannik Sinner at the moment, given that he has shown in recent years that he knows how to handle the 24-year-old Italian and find an answer to his style of play.

 

There is no doubt that the future of world tennis holds a lot of excitement, especially when it comes to the rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. On the other hand, tennis fans hope that Novak Djokovic will play at least another year or two and that we will see him win another Grand Slam title again.

 

During his stay in New York, Djokovic visited the big sports fair “Fanatics Fest”, where he decided to try out what the famous entry into the tennis ring looks like.

 

The best tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic, once again managed to entertain and make the sports public laugh, this time in a completely unusual edition.

 

During his stay in New York, Djokovic visited the big sports fair “Fanatics Fest”, where he decided to try out what the famous entry into the tennis ring looks like.

 

With a recognizable mask on his face, which is often worn by WWE stars, he simulated going on stage in front of an enthusiastic crowd in the style of the biggest stars of American wrestling, and the video immediately went viral on social media.

 

Although the scene at first ball seemed confusing for tennis fans, the background of this event is actually a combination of sports and business.

 

Namely, the company “Fanatics”, which organizes this festival, is the official partner of the WWE organization in charge of their equipment and souvenirs. For this reason, an authentic WWE setup with a ramp and light effects was set up at the fair, which Djokovic, known for his sense of humor, used to make a mini-show and give the crowd a memorable moment.

 

In addition, he also showed off his basketball skills, hitting three three-pointers in a row at one event. His accuracy did not go unnoticed, and the NBA even released a video of his successful streak.

 

Novak’s party did not end there. In the company of famous personalities like Justin Bieber and Tom Brady, he also tried his hand at boxing, and then he played a game of table tennis, where he even asked for VAR.

 

These off-court endeavors of the champion show his versatility and ease, as the tennis world prepares for the challenges ahead. It is believed that Djokovic will also attend the final of the World Cup in football.

 

For many, Novak Djokovic is the greatest tennis player ever, and it seems that the Serbian tennis player in the final stages of his career enjoys moments like this, having a schedule that allows him to visit various prestigious sports tournaments, as well as other entertainment events.

 

The 39-year-old has emphasized many times so far that he is a person of broad understanding, i.e. someone who likes different sports, art, film, music and many other areas. Novak Djokovic is a truly unique personality who is significantly different from the majority, and in addition to his tennis skills, he delights the public in ways like this.

 

—His goals—

 

The Serbian tennis player has already announced earlier that he will play a significantly smaller number of tournaments, focusing on the Grand Slams. However, his statement that the moment of retirement is approaching draws the attention of fans. Novak Djokovic previously said that he has the ambition to play for a few more years, but such statements are met with pessimism in tennis circles.

 

“I still feel that I can compete at the highest level, however, that moment is closer than ever.” he said.

 

“I don’t know if there’s a perfect way to retire. Do I want to retire at the top? I’ll continue to enjoy my time on the court.”

 

Djokovic claims that at the age of 39, his body no longer reacts as before, referring to the match against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, where he won, but failed to recover from such an effort and lost to Jannik Sinner in the next semifinal.

 

The last Grand Slam title was won by Novak back in 2023, and currently the Spaniard and the Italian, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, are leading the tennis scene.

 

It is impressive that Novak played the final of the Australian Open this year, although he was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz, and it is equally impressive that he reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, where he was stopped by Jannik Sinner.

 

Novak’s goal for the rest of his career is to win a 25th Grand Slam title, with the desire to become the absolute record holder in tennis history. His next goal is the US Open in New York, and fans are eagerly waiting to see how much the veteran can really deliver.

 

The former world number one previously stated that he is now much more dedicated to his family, wife and children, with a desire to spend as much time with them as possible.