Tennis legend Novak Djokovic on key lesson learned from observing rival Roger Federer

After a successful semifinal run at Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic has decided to take a break ahead of Wimbledon. So far, he is not scheduled to play any warm-up tournaments before the third major of the year, which will cause him to drop a few spots in the ATP rankings. However, the Serbian is deliberately taking some rest, inspired by how Roger Federer managed his schedule.

On a podcast with Croatian football manager and former player Slaven Bilic, Djokovic discussed his scheduling strategy, noting that many players fail to prioritize the major tournaments. “For most of your career, when you’re young, every tournament counts,” Djokovic explained, via Tennis365.

“Many say that the Grand Slams are the most important. But in reality, they don’t live and train according to their schedule to be at their best for the Grand Slams, to be as fresh as possible for these events. They don’t,” he added.

“Federer helped me a lot in that regard, not directly but indirectly,” he confessed. “I observed how he planned his schedule. He helped me understand how to manage my form, when to take a break, even if I didn’t want to.”

The Swiss legend has been widely credited with being one of the first top players to adopt a  shorter schedule, especially in the final years of his career, helping him secure 20 Grand Slam titles. Especially his latest two majors, which came after recovering from knee surgery. 

Djokovic is motivated to play on grass

While Djokovic doesn’t have any tournaments lined up before Wimbledon, it’s clear that the Serbian legend can still have deep runs in Grand Slam tournaments. Although he wasn’t able to beat Jannik Sinner, he maintains high hopes for Wimbledon.

“The transition from clay to grass is not easy, so I will take my time to rest and prepare well. Grass courts favor my tennis, I feel very good, and my good results there give me great confidence. I believe I have more chances to win on grass than on hard courts,” he said, according to Punto de Break.

Wimbledon is set to start on June 30. Carlos Alcaraz, who will play at Queen’s, arrives as the defending champion. He will be looking for a third consecutive title in London and his second major of the year.