"His determination on one side and on the other his generosity" - Novak Djokovic's manager Edoardo Artaldi on the World No. 1's greatest qualities
Novak Djokovic, who is all set to defend his crown at Roland Garros following his first title of the year at the Italian Open, recently answered some questions from fans alongside his longtime manager Edoardo Artaldi.
Over the course of a question-answer session organized by Lacoste, Artaldi picked out two of the Serb's greatest qualities.
When asked about Novak Djokovic's best trait, Artaldi stated that professionally, the 34-year-old's best quality was his determination. He also singled out the Serb's generosity as a noble personal attribute.
"Tough to say because he has more than one. If I can choose one from his tennis profession and one from his private life, I would say, his determination on one side and on the other his generosity," Artaldi said.
The World No. 1 returned the compliment, saying his manager was like a family member and a father figure to him.
"Eduardo, he is more than an agent to me. He is a family member. He is a friend. He is like an older brother and a father figure as well you know," Djokovic said.
Answering a question with regard to their best moments, Djokovic picked their first Grand Slam win together in Australia.
"I think the first Grand Slam that we won together, you know in Australia. For me, also it was a very special one because it was the first Grand Slam together," the Serb added.
Novak Djokovic and team celebrate Italian Open triumph
After a stop-start season, the World No. 1 earned his first title of the year in Rome and celebrated the victory with his team.
Djokovic missed the Australian Open and the Sunshine Double in the US due to his unvaccinated status. After being on the sidelines for two months, Djokovic entered the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he lost to Alejandro Davidovic Fokina in the second round. The loss dampened his comeback and highlighted his lack of match practice.
The 34-year-old remedied the same by making it to the final of the Serbia Open, where he lost to Andrey Rublev.
He then lost to teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals in Madrid, but Djokovic was at his best at the Italian Open, winning the tournament without dropping a set. After breezing past Aslan Karatsev and Stan Wawrinka in the opening rounds, the Serb did well to beat an in-form Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals.
Novak Djokovic subsequently beat Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to register his 1000th career win and a record 38th Masters 1000 title, respectively. The Serb heads to Roland Garros full of confidence after winning in Rome and will fancy his chances of winning a third French Open crown and drawing level with Nadal at 21 Slam titles.
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