"Novak is like water, you can never really grasp him" - Andrea Petkovic shares what Boris Becker pointed out about Djokovic's adaptive game style
Former tennis player Andrea Petkovic heaped praise on Novak Djokovic after he won his 10th Australian Open title.
The Serb defeated third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-6(5) in straight sets to claim the 22nd Grand Slam title of his career, leveling him with his great rival Rafael Nadal's all-time Grand Slam record.
Petkovic, who retired from professional tennis in 2022, spoke highly of the Serb on her Twitter account. She mentioned that Djokovic's former coach Boris Becker compared the him to "water" while referencing his excellent adaptive skills on the tennis court.
"Something @TheBorisBecker said to me recently was very interesting: Novak is like water, you can never really grasp him. It‘s been fascinating to watch for years. That he is obviously mentally strong, physically fit, etc etc is a given. But the adaptability makes him almost impossible to beat because as an opponent you never know who will be on the other side of the net on any given day," said Petkovic.
Novak is like water, you can never really grasp him. It‘s been fascinating to watch for years. That he is obviously mentally strong, physically fit, etc etc is a given. But the adaptibility makes him almost impossible to beat because as an opponent you never know who will be…
She also mentioned that other than his variety of shots, she considered Djokovic's eyes his biggest weapon.
"Some thoughts I had while watching Novak these past two weeks where he arguably played the best tennis he‘s ever played. His biggest strengths are his eyes - he sees the ball earlier than anybody else," the German added.
Some thoughts I had while watching Novak these past two weeks where he arguably played the best tennis he‘s ever played. His biggest strengths are his eyes - he sees the ball earlier than anybody else - and his ADAPTABILITY. He doesn‘t have a distinct „Novak“ playing style, BUT
"Of course, I am motivated to win as many slams as possible " - Novak Djokovic
In his post-match press conference, Novak Djokovic stated that he was motivated to win many more Grand Slams in the future after tying Nadal's record of 22 majors.
He revealed that winning major trophies was the biggest motivating factor for him at this stage of his career.
"Of course, I am motivated to win as many slams as possible. At this stage of my career, these trophies are the biggest motivational factor of why I still compete. That's the case without a doubt."
The reigning Wimbledon champion mentioned that he never liked comparing himself to others and stated that he was privileged to be in the discussion for 'the greatest player of all time'.
"I never really liked comparing myself to others, but of course, it's a privilege to be part of the discussion as one of the greatest players of all time. If people see me this way, of course, it's very flattering because I know that I give as much effort and energy into trying to win slams as anybody else. I still have lots of motivation. Let's see how far it takes me," he said.