Novak Djokovic says launching his academy is 'one of the biggest projects of his life'
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is currently competing in the Cincinnati Masters, where he has overcome a neck injury on his way to the semifinals. The Serb star is the favorite to win the tourney, and many fans expect him to win the succeeding US Open competition as well.
But while Djokovic still has many years of tennis left in him, he has already started planning for the future.
In a recent interview with SportKlub, Novak Djokovic disclosed that building his own academy was one of his most significant projects for the future. He didn't share all the details of his plans, but the 2020 Australian Open winner mentioned that his team had started exploring territories outside Serbia.
'It is a process that will take time' - Novak Djokovic on his Academy
King of Clay Rafael Nadal has been spending a lot of time at his academy in Spain lately, extensively involving himself with the development of the young and adult tennis players there. Novak Djokovic seemingly wants to follow the Spaniard's footsteps as he is targeting the creation of a facility very much like The Rafa Nadal Academy.
"There are several things I am preparing for the future. One of the biggest projects in my life is the academy. Through the Novak Tennis Club, I am testing certain things that will be part of a big system tomorrow. That system will be able to offer everything I talked about earlier in Serbia and around the world," Djokovic said.
The 2016 French Open winner has achieved incredible success in his tennis career, but very few fans would know that everyone laughed at him in his childhood when he dreamed to become the best. Djokovic would no doubt want the young players at his academy to adopt a similarly ambitious mindset while learning the ropes.
"It inspires and motivates me to offer this program shortly so that young athletes can get closer to my mentality, my experience, and what I can share with them," Novak Djokovic continued.
When asked about his project's minutiae, the reigning Wimbledon champion said that nothing was confirmed yet. But he did express a desire to add some more professionals to his team before taking the next step.
"I can't go into details, for now, nothing has been confirmed yet ... It is currently in the phase of preparation and assembly of various parts, and it is a process that will take time. We currently have a mini academy, in fact, a tennis club on May 25, and we have already started to gather people I think should be there in the professional staff," Djokovic added.
Novak Djokovic concluded by highlighting that he would have to make many tough decisions with the academy, and for that, he would need the help of some tennis experts.