Paula Baodsa and her boyfriend, Stefanos Tsistispas have begun preparations for the US Open. Baodsa is back on tour after a month as she was recovering from a back injury. In an interview, she was asked about the top players, and Badosa had a clear answer. She was asked to choose between Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic, and Baodsa closed her eyes for a second and chose Djokovic.
The world No.46 was asked for the reason why she chose Djokovic over Nadal. Badosa said,” Mentally, he is a beast. Competing and being so superior in each competition seems crazy to me. And in tennis, he is the most complete. And physically, he takes care of himself so much..It’s brutal,”. The Spaniard applauded the way Djokovic has handled his fitness even after reaching the age of 36 years.
When Paula Badosa was asked to choose between Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic.
Badosa answered Djokovic 😊.#djokovic𓃵 #NoleFam #Djokovic @paulabadosa @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/mZ5rSyPaTV
— Shane Gupta (@Shanegupta22) August 24, 2023
The world No.2 is currently preparing for the US Open and also his unsaid battle for the top spot in the rankings. Djokovic’s mental strength was seen early in his career against Roger Federer and Nadal. Almost a decade later, his physical and mental attributes have grown more potent against the young players. Djokovic cannot be written off so soon, as rightly said by his childhood coach, Nikola Pilic.
Nikola Pilic bestows Novak Djokovic with kind words
Nikola Pilic was one of the top players in the sport during the late 1960s and 70s. Pilic later shifted to coaching and became the only player to have led three countries to Davis Cup victories. He led Germany, Croatia, and Serbia to the win. He coached Boris Becker, who later went on to coach Djokovic. But much before that, Djokovic used to train at Pillic Tennis Academy in Germany.
Pilic believes that those who do not know about the sport can write him off. He said,” Novak has already proven to everyone that he is the best.” Djokovic’s childhood coach said that only Carlos Alcaraz can compete against him. Pilic said the young Spaniard has a lot of maturity for a 20-year-old and deserves credit.
Pilic went on to say that Djkovic’s current fitness can enable him to play for at least two or more years. The 36-year-old abides by a fixed schedule deciding upon which events to play and which ones to skip. Djokovic did not play any grass event before Wimbledon and has only played one before the US Open. He has been giving his body enough time to recover after each tournament.