"Pressure is a privilege" - Djokovic on Biles and Osaka
The Serbian tennis player advanced to the sem-finals after defeating Kei Nishikori and after the game he commented on mental health issues.
Novak Djokovic defeated hometown favorite Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals to advance to the next round of the tennis Olympic tournament. The Serbian player is in search of the “Golden Slam” and he was asked about athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka suffering from mental health issues during the campaign and his response was the following:
“Pressure is privilege. Without pressure there is no professional sport,” said Djokovic, who is facing Alexander Zverev in the semi-final. “If you are aiming to be at the top of the game, you better start learning how to deal with pressure and how to cope with those moments.”
Djokovic explains how he deals with pressure
"I’ve learned to develop a mechanism on how to deal with it in such a way that it will not pose a distraction to me, it will not wear me down,” said Djokovic. “I feel I have enough experience to know myself how to step on the court and play my best tennis.”
“Rio was a very tough loss for me. I came into Rio also a big favourite, winning four out of the last five Grand Slams and number one in the world so I know that feeling,” said Djokovic. “It’s a kind of similar feeling now, but I’m a more experienced player and I know what I need to do mentally, and how to work things around on and off the court in order to feel the best I possibly can.”