Novak Djokovic has candidly revealed why it might be \u201cdifficult\u201d for younger tennis stars to ask him for advice while at tennis tournaments.<\/p>\n
Having turned 38 back in May, world No 4 Djokovic<\/a> is one of the most experienced players in the ATP locker room, and is the only player older than 30 inside the top 20 of the ATP Rankings \u2014 with a record 24 Grand Slam men\u2019s singles titles to his name.<\/p>\n Few have achieved the success that the Serbian has in his career, with 100 ATP titles and 428 weeks as the world No 1 overall, and it would only be natural to think that the game\u2019s rising stars would look to arguably the greatest male tennis player of all time for advice and guidance.<\/p>\n However, doing so may not be as straightforward as in other sports, due to the competitive and at times tense nature of life in the tennis locker room.<\/p>\n And, speaking during his recent appearance on the Jay Shetty Podcast, Djokovic revealed that the close nature of players in the locker room could make life difficult for younger stars looking for advice on their careers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe sit next to each other, we warm up next to each other before the big finals,\u201d said Djokovic.<\/p>\n \u201cIn football and basketball, the opponents don\u2019t see each other until they walk out onto the field. In our sport, we look at each other, the teams look at each other, and the battle already begins then.\u201d<\/p>\n The professional attracts an array of personalities into the sport, and the Serbian also believes that some players would not be as comfortable as others about potentially approaching him for help or guidance.<\/p>\n Tennis News<\/p>\n Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner told they can win \u2018next 8 Grand Slam titles\u2019 in bold prediction<\/a><\/p>\n Aryna Sabalenka makes shock withdrawal as world No 1 battle set to heat up<\/a><\/p>\n He added: \u201cFrom that aspect, it\u2019s difficult to expect someone to come up and ask you for advice, but there are other things off the court. There are young players who are more open, curious, and flexible.<\/p>\n \u201cIt also comes down to character; some people are shy. It often happens that members of a player\u2019s team will ask me something through members of my team, and then I approach and say: \u2018It\u2019s OK, we can talk\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cI get a response like: \u2018Yes, but I don\u2019t want to bother you, etc.\u2019 It\u2019s good to have proper communication because that increases mutual respect.\u201d<\/p>\n Djokovic\u2019s comments come amid questions about his long-term future in the sport, following his semi-final exit at the US Open<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>\n The Serbian is still ranked fourth in the ATP Rankings and reached the semi-final of all four Grand Slam events this year, though it has been two years since he lifted a major title.<\/p>\n The former world No 1 has committed to just one event for the rest of the year to date, the Hellenic Championships in Athens in November<\/a>, with withdrawals from the Shanghai Masters and ATP Finals a distinct possibility.<\/p>\n