PARIS — Novak Djokovic has spent two decades at the top of men’s tennis, and at 39 he still credits much of that longevity to practices most players overlook. At his pre-tournament press conference at the Rolex Paris Masters, Indian Tennis Daily’s Prateek Chachra asked him how yoga, meditation and conscious breathing have evolved for him since his early 20s, and whether they now serve his body or his mind.
Djokovic rejected the choice. “It has always been about the body-mind connection, and it’s never more or less on either of the two,” he said.
He said these practices were not part of the culture he grew up in. “I come from a part of the world where yoga and meditation are not really a widespread practice, but I’ve always been very open-minded and willing to learn and understand how I can improve the way I feel, the way I train, the way I recover.”
Breathing, he said, has been at the centre of it from the start. “Conscious breathing was always a focal point of my practice. It’s been like that since a very young age.”
He credited people he met early in his career for steering him there. “I’ve been fortunate to come across some people at the beginning of my career who pointed out the importance of taking care of yourself in a holistic manner.”
Two decades on, the routines are his own. “I still practice a lot of these things,” he said. “I’ve developed my own routines and habits that help me feel better and optimize my health.”
An idea with Indian roots
For Indian readers, Djokovic’s answer will sound familiar. Yoga began in India as a single discipline for body, breath and mind, and the conscious breathing he describes echoes pranayama, the yogic practice of breath control.
That a Serbian champion found his way to these practices from a culture where they were rare shows how far they have travelled. Today they are part of daily life far beyond India, from studios in Belgrade to the locker rooms of the ATP Tour.
Rebuilding the machine
The question of recovery carries extra weight this week. Djokovic arrived in Paris after losing to Jan-Lennard Struff 6-7(4) 7-5 7-6(5) in Basel, and he needs a deep run to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin. According to Sky Sports, he trails Rafael Jodar by 319 points and Frances Tiafoe by 490 in the race.
His focus on recovery now extends beyond his own routine. Late last year, he described his off-season as an effort to rebuild his “machine” after 18 months of frequent injuries. He also presented Regenesis, a multisensory recovery capsule he co-founded that he says recharges the body in about eight minutes, as reported by Tennis Temple.
Body and mind, together
For millions in India who practise yoga and meditation, Djokovic’s answer echoes something the tradition has always taught: the work on the body and the work on the mind are one practice. Whether that balance carries him to Turin will be decided on the court this week.