A junior tennis champion has spoken about Novak Djokovic’s “aura” as he told a revealing story about the presence the legendary Serbian has at tournaments.
Djokovic holds the most significant records in men’s tennis and he is considered by many to be the greatest male player in the sport’s history.
He has won the most men’s Grand Slam titles (24), the most Masters 1000 titles (40), the most ATP Finals titles (seven), while he has finished the most seasons as the ATP world No 1 (eight) and spent a record 428 weeks on top of the rankings.
The world No 4, who turned 38 in May this year, secured his most recent major title at the 2023 US Open.
Max Schonhaus is an 18-year-old German tennis player who won the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals in Chengdu in October.
Speaking on the Advantage der Tennis & Sportpodcast, Schonhaus shared an anecdote about Djokovic from during the 2024 French Open.
“He walks in and everyone knows he’s there,” Schonhaus said.
“What was incredible was last year at the French Open, in the restaurant area where juniors are also allowed. It was so incredibly loud.
“The restaurant was so full, so many people were standing because there were no more seats, and then it was just so loud because everyone had gone into this restaurant.
“And then Djokovic comes in with his team and there is absolute silence. No one says anything anymore. Everyone watched him come in, where he was going.
“It was one of those moments where you say, ‘okay, you could really feel his aura’. I don’t think that would happen if anyone else came in.”
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During an appearance on The Changeover Podcast, world No 60 Aleksandar Kovacevic named Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz as the current ATP players who have a locker room aura.
“In terms of locker room aura, Novak’s still got it because of the greatest of all time thing,” said the American.
“Sinner and Alcaraz have a little bit of that, where it’s like oh s*** when they walk in the room, otherwise no one really cares. We’re just like clocking into a job and it’s the same guys like every week.”
Ahead of his quarter-final defeat to Djokovic at the 2025 US Open, Taylor Fritz dismissed the notion that the Serb’s aura had faded.
“No, I wouldn’t say that the aura of Novak being Novak has worn off at all,” said Fritz.
“No matter what, he’s around. You’re going to acknowledge the fact that it’s Novak. He holds pretty much all the records in tennis. That’s never going to change.
“But I think that what’s different is there have been some guys now that are coming up and able to beat him.
“I still think when he shows up to the Slams obviously, I think the level is still as much there as it was before.”
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