Justine Henin feels Novak Djokovic is "totally unique", says a competitor like him "doesn't exist today on the circuit"
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin recently spoke at length about Novak Djokovic, highlighting some of the Serb's standout qualities. Henin believes Djokovic is "totally unique" and has the "humility" required to keep taking his game to greater heights.
Djokovic has enjoyed a stellar season so far, breaking numerous tennis records. He first went past Roger Federer's all-time tally of 310 weeks as World No. 1 before equaling the Swiss and Rafael Nadal's haul of 20 Majors.
The Serb clinched a record-breaking seventh Year-End No. 1 crown at the Paris Masters and also lifted his 37th Masters 1000 title, moving past Nadal in the all-time leaderboard.
Justine Henin, on her part, believes it is high time people grasped the full extent of Djokovic's achievements. The Belgian acknowledged that some people might not be fans of the Serb's character but insisted his feats must be respected.
“He is totally unique,” Henin told Eurosport. “I think it's really about time - even though there are a lot of people who obviously respect his huge career - that people realise what he is achieving. You can like Novak Djokovic, you can dislike him, there are many people who don't fancy his character, but what he is doing in his career, what the champion is doing, is simply extraordinary."
Djokovic dropped the first set of the Paris Masters final to Daniil Medvedev, before switching up his tactics. The Serb began to serve-and-volley a lot more frequently, preventing the Russian from settling into a rhythm. The Serb eventually went on to win the match in three sets.
According to Henin, Djokovic's willingness to "question himself tactically" allows him to consistently improve his game. The Belgian reckons that even though Djokovic does himself a disservice with his emotional outbursts on court, he has the ability to refocus very quickly.
“And he still has this humility, this willingness to question himself tactically. And indeed, the variety that he has shown going forward and serve and volley at important moments," Henin said. "I think that's the great class of Novak Djokovic and it shows that he's still capable of evolving and adapting to a lot of circumstances. On the emotional side, I think Novak Djokovic is capable of digging a hole for himself but also of bouncing back so quickly. I'm not surprised anymore.”
Henin believes nobody can match Djokovic's hunger and desire to keep breaking records.
“And me, I'm not at all surprised that he came back here (Paris) because there are more records to go after and because it's his job," added Henin. "It's his passion. It's what he loves, because a competitor like that doesn't exist today on the circuit."
What a day, what a week. Blessing after blessing. My loves👩👧👦 both my children witnessing this moment. Crown for years of hard work. My amazing team. Fantastic matches. Many memories to take away. Grateful to bring home another tree in the woods to where this wolf sleeps 🏆😉🐺 https://t.co/j5T5TScHeZ
The former World No. 1 then shed light on how one of Djokovic's biggest attributes is his ability to identify and work on his shortcomings. Henin pointed out that the Serb did not get flustered after dropping the opening set against Medvedev in the Paris final but instead waited patiently for his opportunities.
“He is smart enough to know that nothing can be taken for granted," Henin said. "You have to keep working on things. He showed that in this match too, especially tactically. First of all, he remained very calm after losing the first set. He waited for the opportunities, he served better and better."
“Novak Djokovic works a lot on himself" - Justine Henin
Justine Henin proceeded to offer an in-depth analysis of Novak Djokovic's mindset during her conversation with Eurosport. According to Henin, the World No. 1 always tries to understand more about himself so that he can make improvements.
“I think that Novak Djokovic is a man who thinks a lot on himself," Henin said. "And so he has this ability to analyse what is happening, an ability to accept things and at the same time fight against them. I think he's someone who tries to make sense of things and so he thinks a lot, I believe in this very, very much, and so he works a lot on himself."
The Belgian believes Djokovic is a "hard worker" who focuses not just on his on-court development but also on building his character.
"I think he's a hard worker, too, not just in the sense of saying ‘I'm going to practice, I'm doing what I need to do to be ready’, he's working on himself, on his person, he's thinking about it all," she added. "You can feel that he invests on his personal development as well. And I think that's something that can help him."
However, Henin reckons Djokovic's best trait is his inner drive to succeed. She pointed out that many, including herself, are driven, but explained that Djokovic enjoys tough challenges and thrives in the face of adversity like nobody else.
“But above all, Novak Djokovic is driven," Henin added. "We are all driven, I was and others at higher levels than me, by a competitive spirit. We like a challenge, but Novak Djokovic even more: the more difficult it is, the more he is able to show something of himself behind it. And so, I think he's someone who accepts and loves adversity, probably even more than others."
The friendship goes deeper than the rivalry 🙌
@DjokerNole @DaniilMedwed #RolexParisMasters https://t.co/q546XsdKVN