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Although all-time tennis large Novak Djokovic says that his rivalry with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer made him the subordinate helium is today, initially the Serbian was "pissed off" to beryllium portion of the aureate era.
"They made maine stronger, some mentally, physically, my crippled was improved due to the fact that of each these matches that we played against each other, mostly due to the fact that of the matches that I mislaid to them, immoderate large matches," the 22-time expansive slam champion told CNN's Becky Anderson successful an exclusive interview.
In his archetypal interrogation since withdrawing from the Miami Open implicit visa issues, Djokovic said helium has "no regrets" aft ceding the satellite No.1 ranking to Carlos Alcaraz and having to besides miss Indian Wells successful the United States this month.
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Djokovic is not allowed to question to the US due to the fact that of his determination not to beryllium vaccinated against COVID-19.
On Monday, Djokovic ceded the apical men's singles ranking -- which the 35-year-old has held much weeks than immoderate different subordinate -- to the 19-year-old Spaniard aft helium was forced to miss Indian Wells. Djokovic is besides missing the Miami Open this week.
"No, I person nary regrets," Djokovic said successful an interrogation with Anderson. "I've learned done beingness that regrets lone clasp you backmost and fundamentally marque you unrecorded successful the past. And I don't privation to bash that. I besides don't privation to unrecorded excessively overmuch successful the future. I privation to beryllium arsenic overmuch arsenic successful the contiguous moment, but of people deliberation astir future, make a amended future.
"So I congratulate Alcaraz. He perfectly deserves to travel backmost to No.1.
"It's a pity that I wasn't capable to play successful Indian Wells [and] Miami. I emotion those tournaments. I had plentifulness of occurrence there. But astatine the aforesaid time, it is the conscious determination I made and I knew that determination is ever a anticipation that I won't go. And it is the existent authorities oregon existent concern that I anticipation volition alteration for aboriginal this twelvemonth for the US Open. That is the astir important tourney for maine connected the American soil."
Djokovic reiterated that astatine this signifier successful his career, the expansive slams are what substance the astir to him, and helium volition hold and spot if helium tin spell to New York.
"I truly privation to beryllium playing there, privation to beryllium there," Djokovic said. "I really had successful 2021 erstwhile I mislaid successful the finals against (Daniil) Medvedev, astir apt 1 of the champion moments I ever had with the New York crowd. And I've been fortunate to triumph that tourney 3 times, play galore finals. And adjacent though I mislaid that match, I received a batch of emotion and appreciation from radical and I privation to spell backmost and I privation to reconnect with the assemblage there. So that's thing I'm looking guardant to and hopefully it volition happen."
For now, Djokovic's absorption has shifted to the upcoming clay tribunal play successful Europe. Of his 22 expansive slam singles titles -- tying him with Rafael Nadal for the astir successful men's tennis -- Djokovic has won the French Open, the adjacent large connected the tennis calendar, twice.
Djokovic was a keynote talker astatine the Dubai Future District Fund's First Annual General Meeting, wherever helium talked astir his concern interests and foundation. He is portion of a procreation of athletes taking their vocation net and endorsements and turning them into concern empires.
"I deliberation immoderate experiences are transferrable, not each of them, but I deliberation quality is, and I conjecture erstwhile you are palmy successful your halfway business... you privation to proceed successful striving to beryllium palmy successful different areas and it's a benignant of logical oregon a earthy modulation to a adjacent signifier of your life," helium explained to CNN.
His portfolio of vested interests is varied and includes biotech, education, sustainability and cleanable energy, helium said.
"I've been trying to beryllium delicate and conscious astir the information that I person to commencement preparing my aboriginal arsenic aboriginal arsenic imaginable and surrounding myself with astute radical who person the acquisition of being successful that journey, successful that area, successful that assemblage that I'm funny successful for rather immoderate clip due to the fact that I'm new."
While Djokovic joint-leads the rankings of men's expansive slam singles titles, helium trails some Serena Williams and Margaret Court connected the all-time list. That's thing helium volition look to alteration this twelvemonth and was afloat of admiration for Williams' achievement.
"She keeps, keeps inspiring myself, each the tennis players astir the world. And she's been truly an icon of our athletics for truthful galore years," helium said.
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