Novak Djokovic on marital challenges: Growth as a couple

[@y0bama]

Djokovic speaks so openly about deeply personal parts of his life, about imperfections, challenges and growth. It's a fans dream come true and so inspirational, verbalising his feelings, something many males struggle with. I could see him as a mental health ambassador some day. Respect Nole, wish there were more authentic celebrities out there like you.

[@marlenebuls9535]

Novak is the most well-spoken and articulate tennis player - ever! And English is not his native tongue! Amazing!

[@halalgordonramsay4983]

@@marlenebuls9535 not only he can speak good english but he is also a polyglot. i just found out he can speak 5 languages. we are blessed to live at the same period as this legendary dude.

[@Omni-King2099]

He's just trying to seem more personable after he does something dumb and within his character. He knows he's not well liked because of his cocky entitled attitude so as far as PR he has to appeal to the tennis community and reveal some flaws. Ppl will say oh it's because he's at the top of his hand and he's a target to be disliked but that's never happened with past #1 champs like Nadal, Federer, Sampras, Agassi, even freakin McEnroe and he was a real douche but he was honest about it and consistent and ppl liked his authenticity. Novak comes off as disengenuous mainly because when he was ranked #4 and prior and was struggling to break into the top 3 he was so humble and crowd friendly. Some ppl change with success. Overall he seems like a decent guy but he has become a bit detached from the public. Nadal has always been quiet about his personal life and everybody respects it. If he were to do that it would just make his detachment seem worse. Good job by his PR team i guess. He'll go down as probably the best player in tennis history but not the Greatest. We all know who the GOAT is.

[@paulthomas281]

@@Omni-King2099 What is being the best player in history but not the greatest? The best but not the greatest? Could you explain?

[@Omni-King2099]

@@paulthomas281 the best is defined by record. The Greatest is defined by record, unique style, influence, fan favoritism, pepper in personality. Fire example even if Lebron were to have as many rings as Jordan he will likely not be considered as Great as Jordan. Jordan defined an era. As did Fed and even Nadal. Doesn't take away from Novaks accomplishments and that to come but even after surpassing Fed it'll be an uphill battle to consider him the Greatest amongst the majority of public opinion.

[@rikwallant9901]

A very humanizing interview. He's just a person with thoughts, feelings, and emotions like the rest of us. Has own struggles and inner demons. Massive respect for his openess here.

[@GrahamBensinger]

Glad you enjoyed the interview, Raymond, thanks for watching! -AD

[@Montenegrina-wk4bj]

Even without knowing you Nole you are so close to all of us...your heart is like ocean 🌊

[@jimw.4161]

Yes! And he can say the same thing in about six languages. An extremely articulate, introspective, and thoughtful man. A great representative of the sport.

[@lamebrisee]

What an interview !! The power of vulnerability

[@kennethbrady]

His candor is very refreshing, especially today, where most superstars speak in bland, PR-approved sound bites.

[@alonzobishop3671]

Such a deep and introspective individual... Winning isn’t everything- it’s only part of the journey. Luckily for Novak, through such hard work and commitment, he has fulfillment on and off court! Well played... 🏆

[@Rubylove48]

Very thoughtful and insightful. Every person should really hear what he is saying. Everyone needs unconditional and unchanging love. Achievements are extra, but they do not determine if someone is loveable or not. So proud, particularly as a young successful man that he is speaking up about this. 🥰🥰🥰👏🏽

[@Nina-de6ud]

Novak has gone through so much. He’s an amazing person. GOAT🐐👑

[@stephenhoward8943]

You gotta love Djokovic as a tennis player and a person.

[@Whiplashed]

Yeah I agree. Just not as much as Federer or Nadal or any other tennis player for that matter.

[@Kino-Maha]

I do. Simply.

[@FLRANGER13]

Says hardly any tennis players ever😂😂😂

[@lucasc3651]

No..

[@giomukti8595]

Probably the best gift one can give to a significant relationship, God bless you Novak

[@z1az285]

Brilliant interview. Absolutely brilliant. I'm amazed about his candor. Huge respect to him 🙏

[@GrahamBensinger]

Glad you enjoyed it. Definitely check out the full interview on our podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/novak-djokovic-17x-grand-slam-champion/id1402100292?i=1000474983633. -AD

[@GK-2253]

No wonder he’s a mental giant in the game. He’s incredible on many levels and he worked hard to get there. Very obvious

[@corbandallas6480]

Totally agree. Im really proud of him and he represents orthodox society Mentally, physically and spiritually. You work hard ,be humble and god looks after u

[@marcgrondin65]

I like that Graham asks questions and lets the interviewee respond, then just adding subtle / non-intrusive (to the flow) add-ons, like "how so" .. and let him go on. Novak has also become what he is because of all of this on a tennis and personal level. Adversity creates greatness : and there was no lack of that in the current crop of : Roger, Rafa, Andy, ...etc.

[@donvarda]

Great interview. Djokovic is one of the greatest ever! His career has been a tremendous transformation to unparalleled performance.

[@badmanskill1112]

I feel you threw every big word you knew into that last sentence.

[@JosephDT]

not one of the; the greatest ever unarguably

[@aseemmohanty]

Very rarely the world is capable enough to build someone like Novak. Let's celebrate we have him in our lives who we can relate, get inspiration from and learn so many humanly things. I'm grateful to him for what he is .

[@jameschacko8903]

4:06 ..." I learned that when you expect the least, it's when, you know, LIFE will give you something to work at internally". This statement gives an idea of his approach when he is down like 0-40 at match point, comes back to take the championship. Great interview!

[@patriciasanders2942]

Loved and admired this guy from the very first time I saw him and undoubtedly he excelled as I always knew he would,not only a phenomenal athlete but also A FIRST CLASS super exceptional person LOVE YOU FOREVER NOLE, you rock,

[@amrutamahajan9627]

I'm so grateful for this series! Thank you for this content

[@7Roxer]

More I watch and learn about tennis, the more I appreciate these players. Started out as a Federer fan as most, but been watching many others like Djokovic and these guys are super inspirational.

[@GrahamBensinger]

There is definitely a ton of work, sacrifice, and dedication that goes into their game! Thanks for watching. -AD

[@ronwatts5827]

God....amazing to hear him say that his (early) big goal was winning all slams and that upon doing this with his first French win, he realized he may have taken the wrong path. His warning about forsaking the little boy (girl) that lie in all our subconscious is so very powerful. Thank you Novak for that reminder. May you remain blessed in all you do....tennis and otherwise. The boy has become a man!

[@Silver0426]

You are a great human and a great player!

[@darussianping61]

I am impressed by him he really takes time and work on himself.

[@Cocologs]

he's really impressive - the West hates him, but he doesn't need to conform. I like how he organises his thoughts and expresses himself

[@VinodMoorkoth]

Best Tennis player and best interviewer.

[@MegsCarpentry-lovedogs]

Quite an honest reflective account of where and when growth had to take place due to what life put in front of him. ⭐️ Don't we all encounter a similar path where life in each of our lives will provide opportunity for us to make different decisions? Such a lovely honest interview...I admire Novak for all he has gone through and sometimes in times of war with bombings. 🇨🇦 💚 💯

[@vinodkushe6585]

I am enjoying each and every match of Djokovic played since 2007 I AM very much fan of Djoko

[@poppybean7807]

YOUR HONEST it’s refreshing ❤️

[@remalim9471]

Love his honesty.

[@nietzschesmuse]

Nova Djokovic come across as a genuine and self reflective person which is rare.

[@jojoco6737]

I’ll embark a journey with Nole, anytime :). I love this guy along with his tantrums. He is the best player.

[@kylie-mareebaldwin4672]

How refreshing to see a high achiever put his ego to the side and openly talk about his feelings. A deep thinker. And yes I always thought Novak was immature emotionally but now he has grown. Novak that's what happens to children who have experienced trauma, in your case, a war. You grow physically and mentally but your inner child stays safe in that dark room. So love your inner child and feel your emotions. You truly are an inspiration. I appreciate your honesty and openness. It is a journey of healing you are on.

[@johnanderson8096]

Excellent interview... quick question.... get out of the way... Well Well Done... Novaks such a deep thinker... and a Brilliant Tennis Player!!!

[@nm471]

Love to see JOKO play and win. His behaviour and humour on the court is an added fun.

[@christinebadostain6887]

Wowowow---respect for Djokovic for getting conscious of this most vital aspect of growing into adulthood: emotional growth. It is absolutely crucial that parents attune to the emotional needs of their children. In these very confusing times parents aren;t really conscious of the needs of the child for attunement mirroring and resonance so that like Djokovic explains that aspect of the human being doesn't get pushed into a the dark corner and cause all kinds of emotional disease in adulthood.

[@fredchua8641]

A very intelligent man. After tennis, he will venture into awareness

[@mag1071]

I certainly appreciate your honesty and being so open about your journey. Looking inward is hard and trying to fine solutions is harder. Thank you for sharing your struggles.

[@armantavakoli7926]

Love you Novak!

[@EndoftheTownProductions]

Novak is, by far, the most thoughtful tennis player in the history of the game.

[@ginapablo6673]

Absolutely 💯 you right.

[@markwilkie7633]

actually that would be rafa

[@valsammajoseph421]

He is a complete human being

[@valsammajoseph421]

He is not an egoist like Federer

[@frozenragu]

Probably a generalisation, but i have had a couple of ver close friends who are Serbian. They and their families have all been so thoughtful and caring. These friendships have given me a better understanding and appreciation of Novaks personality. Theres been some speed humps along the way, but what a fantastic ambassador for tennis

[@chrisphoenixmusician]

Great interview and love seeing this side of Novak. Good on him for opening up this way. Lots of admiration for him, as a human being and a tennis star.

[@GrahamBensinger]

Glad you enjoyed the interview, thanks for watching! -AD

[@Kraftymark]

I like him more after watching this.

[@JohnDoe-wu4tt]

GOAT!. Most masters, dominated Nadal and Federer the last decade. Will definitely end with most weeks at world number 1. Might get most slams too. Just an amazing tennis player and a very interesting man.

[@flameouken9422]

ur right about the most weeks at number 1, will come back when he has the most slams

[@frz7553]

Tied now. Nadal and roger are finished players.

[@SH-jg5zq]

Amazing person!

[@annasid9025]

Novak is more charismatic then all the footballers taken together💖 what a man!

[@AznVi3tx]

So powerful

[@markgoulding5333]

Love you Novak ❤️

[@cortneyoverstreet8130]

Wow, talking about his inner child…I continue to be impressed by Novak.

[@beazy7751]

Great interview Djokovic maybe the GOAT

[@acej7271]

I’m starting to like Novak more. Loved his no mask stance at the Australian Open.

[@chauminh]

merci. well said novak

[@tgwcl6194]

Chrstian Novak! God bless!

[@Aa-ji2yf]

Djokovic 💪

[@sladanaprvulovic7418]

❤NOVAK❤DJOKOVIC❤👏👏👏🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸🍀🍀🍀💪

[@rasher331]

There is absolutely nothing that would entice me to be married to a pro Tennis player. Id say it is hard work dealing with all the highs and lows never mind vying for their attention.

[@jeremysmith9694]

$$$$

[@roter13]

the free travel and having to not buy anything is a good perk...

[@ljiljanatodorovic8181]

Amazing Nole

[@thorsten1955]

What an impressive personality.

[@cyriljohns]

I think you shouldn't ask in a public setting about his wife and marriage conflicts, those are his private matters

[@johng45746]

Well it seemed like he was hinting to it anyway and he talked about it in a previous podcast.

[@therealtw90]

Graham, just like most interviews in this class, do a pre-interview where they bring their research and questions to the subject. Its almost like a summary version of the real interview they're doing on camera. Precisely to avoid those type of gotcha questions, it wouldn't have made it in if he was uncomfortable talking about it. However, there are exceptions to this like right after a tramatic event or if the subject agrees last minute to do an interview and there's no time to review questions ahead of time. 60 minutes does this sometimes when they get a subject to agree at last minute.

[@proud2bejcan]

I’m sure he oked it with him wife

[@wisdom6437]

You’re a good man Djoko!!!

[@thiresia]

You ve gone deep Nole!

[@srinitaaigaura]

All the 3 greats of Tennis have been shaped by some kind of adversity. Federer went out on his own and grew up over the shock of losing Peter Carter (he still cries remembering him), Nadal grew up with pain and hardship as his closest companion, and Djokovic survived a war and bombings and came from a country with little tennis history and fought off debilitating food allergies to become who he is now. It is high time he gets the same respect.

[@wendylewis4508]

Respect is earned. It is not a 'given'.

[@mantaishere]

What respect is he not getting, in your opinion? Who are the people not giving/showing respect to him? To be frank, I see a lot of Djoker fans repeating this 'respect' line, when they really mean love, adoration, and popularity, a la you-know-who.

[@srinitaaigaura]

@@wendylewis4508 Winning 20 GS and being world no. 1 for a record time is not enough respect earned for you? Oh and he isn't even close to Connors or McEnroe in the arse department.

[@robiperkovic8349]

Smart guy as a Croatian this man is a class act

[@itanamarko]

Yeah, the whole world knows he is Serbian, expect one person - you.

[@rag7027]

He already is the 🐐 tennis player, but I’ll put him as the 🐐 athlete if he wins most slams and becomes the first tennis player to reach 400 weeks as number 1.

[@serenabbg2003]

I like nole a lot... I feel like I could actually hold a nice conversation without being intimidated

[@troygaspard6732]

Lets see if he will win the final 2 Grands, and a gold.

[@boke75]

When Novak verbally repeats a question I get the feeling he feels it’s inappropriate. Or maybe he’s just buying time instead of doing an American response : “Well, ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm...”.

[@deborahstokes4503]

It is very EASY for Novak, Roger, And Nadal to achieve greatness because TENNIS their First Love; above Family. Go to the Interview from Novak's Wife where gives a candid account of the state of their Marriage. She stated that Novak "Does a great job of taking care of himself'. She also expressed her need to get away. Alone. He wants more children yet she says, Not now. If Federer and Nadal Wives are as honest as Novak's wife was, they may have same thoughts, as well. The sacrifice they endure must be incredible. BEHIND EVERY GREAT Man; THERE IS A GREAT WOMAN HOLDING HIM UP!

[@mantaishere]

Not sure about Rafa's wife. I'm sure I read an interview a long time ago, in which she was quoted as saying she had her own life away from Rafa and tennis, and wasn't keen on following him around all the time. Must have been a LONG time ago, though, because I'm sure she's been there with him everywhere for at least 6 or 7 years now. Fed? It's obvious Mirka calls the shots. I mean, he's bascially said so more than once. I believe him when he says it's down to her whether he continues playing or not, and it may well be easier for her to choose to be accomodating of his professional life because she's a former player. Still an enormous sacrifice on her part, though, I agree. Especially having to project manage an entire operation of lugging 4 kids around the globe throughout the year. I hope Fed is VERY grateful.

[@a8aCOLPLAYa8a]

que preguuuuunta la del 4:05 omg djoko te amo ok.

[@jamesnikolovski6683]

Goat!!!

[@blackspiderman1887]

The french open alluded everyone except nadal for the last 14 years

[@wendylewis4508]

Black Spiderman you mean 'eluded' I think, and Federer won it in 2009.

[@blackspiderman1887]

@@wendylewis4508 I'm aware.

[@RayfilWong]

@grahambensinger Best Question you asked "How So?" to dig deeper for answers!

[@DiegoRuiz1991]

Graham, FFS... Martial = war Marital = couples

[@GrahamBensinger]

Good catch! We corrected!

[@mact7766]

Graham, your foot is extending over way too far. pretty disrespectful and as a class act as Djoker is he did not budge. I generally like your interviews but your foot really bothered me on this one.

[@siblingcat4765]

Yes. I thought the same thing. His shoes is so close to Novak's legs.

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

By the comments here i dont think anyone has a CLUE about what actually happened to him during that marital "challenge". it was quite obvious what happened, all u have to do is watch WHAT happened on and off the court, on the court he started losing matches and his play was very askew, his wife was not at most of the matches during that time, and when she did come back, she didnt watch the match, her body language was very quick, very abrupt, very angry and very seething. He did not play or act like his normal self. only ONE thing wd have caused a wife to consistently stay away from his matches then act SOOO angry n seething etc. but i think his coaches got involved and could see that what he did to cause her to act like this (it was NO simple fight or spat, folks), and possibly END his brilliant career HAD to be fixed and the coaches devised a plan to build a bridge between them, that involved compelling him to admit what he did and b completely and utterly apologetic to her AND solemnly commit to NEVER do such a thing again, gave her the small incentive to agree to bridge that broken bridge between them. and judging by the way she cautiously behaved thereafter, mostly bland for quite some time, then resolving back into her previous happy persona tells us that he has kept his promise to her. thats what happened and what both of these guys in this video were glossing over.

[@ljiljanamcc2947]

🥇👏🏻

[@maxgodpill]

Djokovic Translation Transcript: Prior to my surgery in 2018 I was f*cking around a LOT cheating on my wife every week living a douchebag f*ckboi lifestyle f*cking models & actresses all over the globe including Deepika Padukone & countless others, & finally Karma started to catch up creating a turmoil in my personal & professional life but in the nick of time I realized in order to be legendary great like Rafa & Roger who are both very loyal non-cheating kinda devoted honest husband I need to control my lust big time in order to sustain any further success in tennis. Sorry I can’t admit my infidelity I’m too embarrassed 😳

[@JL-fx5cm]

If you didn't say it, I would have. Well done.

[@lbpee9962]

omg rofl

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

very evident by his wifes absence from courtside for quite a while...and when she eventually did appear she didnt clap at all she looked angry fed up n tense and left in a hurry when the match was done.

[@j.t.8096]

Find help!!!

[@dekitesla9915]

Bog

[@Ykpaina988]

Respect,the true meaning of life is the most important match one can face. You still got Covid

[@buchkasidy6919]

People die everyday,and why are you so worried about his health status ..Corona (invented virus)More people die bcs of malaria,hunger, traffic accidents ...etc...But you are worried about Corona,give me a break

[@mir-jan3496]

People in Africa still die from honger, you know why, because some westerns like to explore they goodies.Same in Arab countries, they like the black gold.

[@rammohan1991]

You knew he was dippy dipping around .

[@rammohan1991]

@Don X what

[@DjokerSA]

Unless he did it with you, you have no proof

[@The92Abhi]

Interesting, try reading Srila Prabhupada's books

[@boke75]

Everyone here is saying Nole is exposing his deepest personal feelings here but, sorry, just hearing vague, general comments on how he grew as a person. The second the interviewer mentions something specific like his wife....he seems to go into lockdown mode, lol. Saying things like she chose to be with a tennis player, etc etc. Thing is these guys, including Rog and Raf, are very self-centered beings. They have to be to to get to the top. Steep price to pay but Djoker seems to have a very sweet wife and kids. Just hope the rumours of his womanizing isn’t true...or at least not anymore.

[@liliatina4421]

Volimo te nole,ali nole nije sretan ,to se vidi.

[@glenharris8671]

Not convinced about him yet...he is winning now because all the young Duds cannot win Slams. Federer is older now and Novak couldn't touch him from 2003-2009. Nadal is Clay court expert...perfect time to win most of his Slams from 2014 to 2021...6 since 2018...one of the greats but not the greatest yet...not even close with ATP matches won. It is not just Slams that make you great...it is the total package...

[@jaime0075]

un poco polemico....solo un poco !!!!!

[@davidbosquette4798]

Screech- saved by the Bell. 😁

[@dl703]

Can Graham put his foot down and not crossed it facing his interviewees? This is a very rude gesture in some culture by pointing your soles at your guest.

[@Jorjina.hayatt]

appreciate it. Novac should eat some goat meat and fish (good one) to get back his mojo and develop some muscle. human muscle is a protein that needs animal protein too. too much plants also lowers the mojo.

[@VilinaRai]

What's mojo?

[@Rubylove48]

I love nole. But the couch is ugly. Sorry.

[@Christo01]

they're in his grandfather's apartment

[@Ryan-Horgan]

Translation=I was getting that attention by sleeping with loads of women behind my wife's back. She then found out and I had a shit storm to deal with!

[@along1298]

You better have some proof if you're gonna make such bold & crazy claims.

[@Ryan-Horgan]

@@jekapanika she stays because she knows he's the highest/best status man she can get.

[@Ryan-Horgan]

@@along1298 you don't have to believe me but I know people in the know and they know. If you know what I mean lol

[@along1298]

@@Ryan-Horgan Who are these people? And how exactly do they know this?

[@ROBERTORRRR1]

@@jekapanika well, you mentioned 2 stunning women, imagine to have a nice friendly relationship with them and be together after 5 gin&tonic....

[@gmaccruyff55]

Marriage is boring,including the sex!

[@wakanda6547]

After listening to both him and wifey, they are lacking me time...both seem very tired

[@dafaizi]

Smart guy and a champion! But, boring just like his tennis.

[@dannytoots6635]

why boring? I would say he is the most sincere and thoughtful out of the big 3. He has come from the slums, whereas Roger and Nadal have come from upper-middle-class households. You will die and no one will know your name :)

[@dafaizi]

Danny Toots And, people will write about you for generations? :-) Look, I credit him for his fitness, flexibility and Tennis IQ. He could have been in a circus- that’s how flexible he is. Definitely one of the greats of the game. I also realize that it was harder for him than Fedal. He deserves credit. But, I find his game monotonous and boring. Like most tennis fans. This is nothing personal.

[@dannytoots6635]

@@dafaizi "But, I find his game monotonous and boring. Like most tennis fans." < - I guess this could be close to the truth. Novak is a player's player in the same way Mayweather was a boxer's boxer. To tennis players Nole is a phenomenon and really great to watch; unrivaled athleticism + ability to redirect any pace down the line make for really explosive rallies.

[@rag7027]

Regardless of your opinion, he will arguably be the greatest athlete not just tennis player, that ever lived with records that will take ages to be broken if ever.

[@itanamarko]

@@dafaizi That's what most people usually say about nadal's game. Just punching the ball the strongest he can.

[@Creees]

He is just so easy to hate. Bizzare is a great word to describe him

[@Creees]

@4444444е everyones a racist bra especially Serbs

[@barbaramariano2710]

Hating someone you don’t know that easily says so much about you.. probably bizarre is a great word to describe this kind of attitude🧐

[@itanamarko]

What a bizarre comment....

[@Creees]

@@barbaramariano2710 i never stated i hated him. It wouldn't be too difficult task. I have grown to admire him somewhat.

[@Creees]

@Kat the contrarian o yer throwing around the race card are we? Boy who cried wolf story comes to mind

[@lynnreneecray9191]

Translation. She better stay with me or I will find somewhere else. I got the money and the power. You have nothing. Yes, I cheated and treated your terribly, but you better forgive me, if you want to stay on this train. He said his relationships were superficial. Agreed. She was pregnant, so you thought it was the right thing to do, but you just ended up hurting her, just like to Adria tour. You were thing superficially, and hurt others in the process. He is very thoughtful in answers, but not sincere nor honest.

[@MartinRiggs1820]

You sound completely and utterly indoctrinated by the mainstream media. Jesus christ lady quit being so damn miserable and move on with your life.

[@DjokerSA]

You have issues. Sure you're not talking about Federer and Mirka? Of all the tennis couples Novak and Jelena is the happiest

[@lynnreneecray9191]

Happy this is a man who was cheating on women all over the world

[@wakanda6547]

@Lynn ...he seems very dogmatic, and very macho... have you listened to his wife talk? She seems rather exasperated, with him wanting her pregnant again and again. There is trouble in this marriage definitely.

[@itanamarko]

What an awful comment, and you don't know nothing about him or his wife. How the hell can you know that he treated her terribly????? Maybe it was just the opposite? His wife for example seems quite pushy and hypocrite, and she had an episode where she accidentally broadcasted in live how badly she treated him. It's normal that if the couple wants to stay together, they are both embarked on the same journey and need to grow up together and work on their relationship. Sorry, this guy is a top tennis player and he needs a wife that can support him. It's not her the champion, he is. It was clear from the very beginning who he is and what he wants to do in life. And the lady could just leave if she can not be there for him, but yeah, oups, the where else could she get this extravagant life style? Well, nowhere! Honestly, he could do better, but he didn't!

[@thorium222]

Yeah, I know I will get a lot of hate for this comment, but this is in no way meant to be disrespectful or insulting. To me he has only ever looked truly happy when he is hugging another man, but this could very well also be only my imagination. Just think how how hard that would be for a Serbian alpha male.

[@areeshahasan8665]

Wth

[@Giannantonio83]

novak is cringetopia

[@rammohan1991]

True that