What would Novak Djokovic tell the young boy he once was?
In an interview with Corriere della Sera published on August 18, 2026, the Serbian champion reflected on his childhood, his journey to the top of tennis and the lessons he learned along the way.
Asked what advice he would give to the young Novak if he could meet him today, Djokovic highlighted five powerful ideas that can resonate with junior tennis players around the world: dreams, support, discipline, patience and living in the present.
The quotations below have been translated from Italian into English by Tennis Papers.
Never Give Up on Your Dreams
Never give up on your dreams, even when the obstacles seem immense and the circumstances are unfavorable.
Djokovic grew up dreaming of winning Wimbledon and becoming World No. 1. In the same interview, he explained that achieving one dream allowed him to create another, bigger one, progressing step by step toward what he wanted from tennis.
For young players, the message is simple: difficult circumstances do not necessarily have to define how far a dream can go.
Find the Right People
There is always somewhere in the world a person willing to help you nurture those dreams: you just have to find them.
Djokovic’s own story illustrates this idea. He speaks extensively in the interview about the influence of his first tennis teacher, Jelena Genčić, describing her as much more than a coach and crediting her with having an enormous influence on the person and player he became.
Talent matters, but the people surrounding a young player can also shape the journey.
Discipline Builds Success
Discipline is the foundation of all success. Building a routine of healthy habits will lead you to whatever result you want to achieve.
For Djokovic, discipline extends beyond hitting tennis balls. Elsewhere in the interview, he discusses how eating, sleeping, breathing and thinking all affect his performance.
For juniors, that is an important distinction: development isn’t only about training harder. Daily habits matter too.
Learn to Be Patient
I would force my younger self to be patient, because when you’re young, you want everything, right away.
Junior tennis can create pressure to progress quickly — rankings, tournament results and comparisons with other players can make development feel like a race.
Djokovic’s words offer a useful counterpoint: progress takes time, and wanting immediate results should not replace the longer process of development. His actual statement specifically contrasts youthful impatience with the importance of living in the present.
Live in the Present
Living in the present, here and now, is the key to a conscious existence.
Perhaps the strongest message with which to finish.
Young players naturally think about what comes next: the next tournament, ranking, selection, academy or level. Djokovic instead emphasizes the importance of the here and now.
Development happens in today’s practice session, today’s match and today’s decisions — not only in the future a player hopes to reach.
A Message for the Next Generation
Djokovic’s advice is striking because it isn’t primarily about technique, rankings or trophies.
It is about the foundations behind a long journey: keep dreaming, find people who believe in those dreams, develop discipline, remain patient and stay connected to the present.
For junior tennis players — whether they dream of becoming professional or simply of reaching the next stage of their development — those lessons extend well beyond the tennis court.
Source: Interview by Gaia Piccardi, Corriere della Sera, August 18, 2026.
Read the original interview in Corriere della Sera
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