After his 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 victory over Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final in a record-setting five hours and 53 minutes, Novak Djokovic agrees with the Spaniard that it’s possible to enjoy suffering on court.
"That's nice be there fighting, trying to go to the limit, bring your body to the limit of his chances," Nadal said. "Something I really enjoy, and I always enjoy suffering, no? So when you are fit, with passion for the game, when you are ready to compete, you are able to suffer and enjoy suffering. So today I had this feeling, and is a really good one. I suffered during the match, but I enjoyed all the troubles that I had during all the match. I tried to be there, to find solutions all the time. I played a lot with my heart. I played a lot with my mind, and is something that is nice to be around and not just play tennis."
Djokovic added: "You are in pain, you suffer, you know that you're trying to activate your legs, you're trying to push yourself another point, just one more point, one more game. You're going through so much suffering your toes are bleeding. Everything is just outrageous, but you're still enjoying that pain."