"Novak Djokovic has become the master of management when it comes to lengthy matches" - Jim Courier
Novak Djokovic has won his fair share of marathon matches over the course of his long and illustrious career, outlasting younger and faster opponents.
The Serb's three-set wins over Holger Rune and Hubert Hurkacz at the ongoing 2023 ATP Finals were testaments to his mettle in terms of endurance and sheer grit.
Noting those qualities, former World No. 1 Jim Courier dubbed Djokovic a "different dude" when it comes to playing in extreme conditions. The American said the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who went gluten-free after some initial struggles, now has all the experience needed to thrive in such matches and that's part of why he comes out on top often.
"Novak Djokovic is a different dude," Jim Courier said on the latest episode of Tennis Channel's Inside-In podcast (13:30 mark). "He's got all that experience that he's gained over the course of his career on how to manage his body and those extreme, extreme conditions."
"You have to remember, he struggled mightily early in his career before he went gluten-free. So he's become the kind of the master of management when it comes to lengthy matches," he added.
The four-time Grand Slam champion then compared the Serbian ace to the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune, saying the younger crop of players have a lot to learn in the department.
"And Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune, those guys have a lot to learn in that department," Jim Courier said. "They've got a lot of upside, but there's also plenty of room for growth for them to learn how to manage those difficult situations that are going to come up again."
Novak Djokovic: "The generation of Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner is very strong"
Novak Djokovic views the younger crop of players as strong competition as made clear by him during a press conference after his win over Hubert Hurkacz at the 2023 ATP Finals.
The Serb tipped Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune as the trio that would lead men's tennis into the next era.
"The field is strong. I mean, the generation of Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner is very strong," he said. "It's probably the three players that will carry this sport in the future but also in the present because they are right at the top of the game, all of them."
The 36-year-old also said that fans expect younger players to be motivated and hungry for big success. He added that they also have a lot of room to improve as they are still discovering their best tennis at this age.
"Of course, it's expected for young players to be hungry, to be motivated, and to constantly look for ways to improve, get stronger, faster, better, so they can beat the players, best players in the world, and clinch some, yeah, biggest trophies in the game," Djokovic said.