How does a player go from looking like a shell of his former self to winning three Grand Slam titles in the space of 12 months? If you’re Novak Djokovic, it’s all in the mind.
“I think that’s probably the biggest secret of my success, or probably any other athlete, is self-belief,” Djokovic said after winning his 15th major title at the Australian Open in January. “Always digging deep in the moments when you’re facing adversity...visualizing yourself as a winner, trying to be in a positive state of mind.”
“I’m a true believer in visualization,” Djokovic continued. “I do that a lot. I think that I had to do that more than ever in my life 12 months ago.”
After missing the second half of the 2017 season with injury, Djokovic slowly worked his way back into form as 2018 began, and took some surprising losses along the way. But when he regained his health
and confidence, he didn’t waste time turning his visions into reality. Of course, even Djokovic admits that hitting a perfect shot in your dreams is not the same as hitting one in real life—“It’s a lot easier said than done,” he said.