Novak Djokovic reveals what is ‘hurting’ him ‘more and more’ as he opens up on his hunger

In an interview with Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic talked about his motivation and how much he misses his kids when he’s away from them.

The world number one admitted that he still has a “little Novak” inside of him and that he is “more and more” saddened by having to leave his kids behind as he gets older.

The tennis icon and his spouse Jelena are the parents of two children, Tara, age six, and Stefan, age nine.

Djokovic has had a challenging 2024 season thus far, losing five of his 17 matches and failing to make it to the championship match in any of the four ATP events he has participated in.

After an incredible 2023 season, some have questioned whether the great Serbian wants to stay at the top.

In the previous year, Djokovic achieved an incredible 56-7 (88.9%) record and won seven trophies, including three of the four Grand Slams.

Alejandro Tabilo defeated the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who will turn 37 later this month, 6-2, 6-3 in Sunday’s third-round match of the 2024 Italian Open. The French Open, where he is the defending champion, will be his next stop.

During an interview with fellow tennis player Kyrgios for the Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios podcast, Djokovic clarified his inner turmoil on his will to persevere.

In the recently-released interview, which was recorded during the Australian Open in January, Djokovic said to Kyrgios, “The little Novak, the four-year-old Novak, who started playing tennis in Kopaonik in Serbia, is still inside and still in love with the sport and is still so hungry for more.”

However, there’s also likely this older Novak, who is a spouse and father, who is like, ‘Come on, dude. Life consists of other things as well.

As we talk now, I truly miss my kids. It has been weeks since I last saw them, and they are back in Europe. I might not see them for another two or three weeks if I perform well here. And leaving them is hurting me more and more.

The 36-year-old acknowledged he had “a different feeling” this year compared to previous season after leaving the show in Rome.

“I am not in the desired form if I am playing poorly. Grand Slams are different, though, because I love playing them and am much more driven there. We’ll see how things work out. He told Serbian reporters, “I hope everything will be fine with my head.”

“This year, my overall mood on the competitions is different. I’m working to maximize my potential, but I haven’t been that successful so far. The most significant block of the year is coming up, and I’m getting ready for it.