Novak Djokovic was a warrior even at 20, says former French player Olivier Patience
Novak Djokovic has won 17 Grand Slams, and is only the third man in history to hold all four Grand Slams at once. His temperament and ability to remain calm under pressure are miles ahead of his contemporaries, enabling him to overcome every obstacle in his path.
But anyone who thinks that it took Novak Djokovic years to develop this kind of maturity, would be mistaken. As former French player Olivier Patience recently revealed, Djokovic was supremely cool-headed under pressure even when he was just starting out on the tour.
Patience was speaking with Eurosport France, and he described his match against the Serb at the 2007 French Open (when Djokovic was 20 years old) in detail.
"What surprised me about him was that he was very young and that he already had the maturity in choices," Patience said. "He knew when to play, when to take risks or not, not to try the impossible."
I was older than Novak Djokovic but not as mature as him: Olivier Patience
Patience was actually much older than Novak Djokovic at that time. The Frenchman was an established 27-year-old pro, while Djokovic had barely been on tour for a couple of years. And yet by Patience's own admission, the Serb showed a better understanding of the game than his senior competitor.
"In fact, I was 27 years old, I was more mature than him but not (in) tennis. At that time, I should have done the same as him: take my time, be aggressive in the strikes but in a more calm manner," Patience said.
Novak Djokovic ended up winning that French Open match in five sets, despite being two sets to one down at one stage. And his calmness certainly helped him tide over the mid-match crisis - just like how it has helped in recent years.
Patience made sure to dwell on Novak Djokovic's game back then, and how he did everything well even as a youngster.
"I knew he had a great backhand, that he turned around and that he moved very well. I knew, on the other hand, that in forehand, it was much more fallible than now. At the service, it was not yet monstrous because it had a kind of ... No arms rolled but ... Let's say that technically, it was not crazy. But it was still very complete," Patience said.
The former World No. 87 also commented on Novak Djokovic's do-or-die attitude, which has remained an important part of his arsenal throughout his career.
"He had this warrior attitude even then," Patience said.
It doesn't matter if Novak Djokovic is friendly or not on the pitch: Olivier Patience
Novak Djokovic had a reputation for being a brawler in his young days; he would often be animated during his matches, and seemed prone to bouts of anger against his opponents. But according to Patience, that wasn't a big deal as it was done in the heat of the battle.
"It doesn't matter if he is friendly or not on the pitch. If the guy wants to beat me and shows me his fist, I don't mind. Honestly, during this match, he did nothing," Patience said.
"He had even applauded me at the end. I never had anything against those who wanted to win. I know that he was criticized for a slightly deceitful side then, but on this match, he did nothing as such," the Frenchman added.
The final scoreline read 7-6, 2-6, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 in Novak Djokovic's favor, and it turned out to be his breakthrough tournament. Djokovic reached his first ever Slam semifinal at the event, where he lost to 12-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal.