As part of the research for his book Searching for Novak: The Man Behind the Enigma, wimbledon.com's Mark Hodgkinson has spoken to many of those who know Novak Djokovic and his game.

He has learned much about the 24-time Grand Slam winner's mindset as well as how he approaches the mental challenges that come with being at the very top of his sport.

Here are ten of Novak's mental strategies. 

Resisting failure 

It’s too simplistic, Djokovic's former coach Todd Martin has suggested, to say that the player is driven to succeed. Actually, Martin has observed, Djokovic’s greatness has come from "resisting failure".

“Novak has figured out how to resist failure," the American observed in Searching for Novak. “There’s such a palpable willpower. He has a willpower that’s hard to come by. Other people will say it’s a determination to succeed. I don’t know. I love positivity but that might be too simple.” 

“To me, there’s both a persistence towards success but there’s a high level of resistance to failure. For me, that will always resonate the most when observing Novak’s remarkable success. There’s something in Novak’s mind that refuses to lose.” 

Accepting that emotional issues – or traumas – can resurface in a match

While Djokovic has occasionally made winning Grand Slam titles look easy, that’s not how it has felt inside his head – while you’ve been snacking on your strawberries, he’s had years of inner turmoil.

Irrepressible Djokovic makes swift return

And it’s not as if these jitters, insecurities and negative voices are only an occasional concern – they’re there, in his head, every time he plays a match.

As Djokovic once told his friend 2004 ladies' singles champion Maria Sharapova, he feels as though tennis is both a battlefield and a school of life: he’s triggered more on court than he is anywhere else in life.

In those high-pressure moments, all kinds of emotional issues – Djokovic has gone so far as to call them traumas – can surface. 

Letting go of his anger

When Djokovic breaks a racket, he feels remorse.

Just before he did it, there had been a small voice in his head whispering softly: “OK, try to do what you do best, but do it with dignity, do it with style.” But then, because he can't stop himself, Djokovic breaks the racket and feels that he has betrayed himself as he hadn’t behaved as he wanted to. But only for a moment or two.

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Djokovic doesn’t stay ashamed for long as he has learned not to. He has found that there’s nothing to be gained from putting himself down. It’s far better for Djokovic to forgive himself and to accept that he is a flawed human being and that these things can happen when he’s out there on his own under enormous amounts of stress.

He allows himself to move on. The old racket is a mangled mess. Djokovic takes a new one from his bag; he’s making a fresh start, practically and emotionally.

“Novak likes to let out the raw emotion,” said his friend and former player Sascha Bajin. “He’s releasing stress and tension and letting go of the anger. He plays better after that.” 

Valuing every point 

“I love the way Novak values each point, playing each one as if it’s a match point,” Chris Evert said.

“There are very few unforced errors from him, very few dips in his concentration and play. He’s the epitome of consistency. Over five sets, it’s hard to beat him because of that mental focus.” 

Admitting to himself that he feels fears on court 

Everyone feels fear on a tennis court, Djokovic believes, and anyone who says otherwise is fibbing. It doesn’t help, he thinks, when people are saying things such as “fear doesn’t exist”.

He doesn’t like it, he told 60 Minutes, when he hears people in sport telling athletes, “Just think positive thoughts – be optimistic.”

If Djokovic is like everyone else in tennis – in that he also feels fear on court – what sets him apart? It’s his ability not to stay in that emotional state for too long.

When Djokovic was younger, he tried to ignore the doubts in his mind, but that was futile; they weren’t going away anytime soon. Now when he’s feeling negative, he acknowledges that feeling. That helps him to reset and then he’s ready to go again. 

Conscious breathing

Conscious breathing – being aware of his breathing – is the simplest and the most effective way for Djokovic to practise mindfulness in the white heat of a Grand Slam final or wherever else he finds himself feeling under stress or emotional duress.

On occasion, Djokovic has felt a kind of choking sensation, with a shortness of breath, and that drains him of energy. It’s in moments like that, or any kind of stressful stage of the match, that Djokovic focuses on his breathing, even if it’s just for one or two breaths, though if he has time, he will do so for ten or more.

He might even close his eyes for a few seconds as he does that as then he can truly feel himself being centred again. 

Telling himself he’s good enough 

There’s a voice in Djokovic’s head that keeps asking him on court: “What’s going to happen – am I going to win or not?”

What’s best for him is being more in the moment, thinking only of the point he’s about to play. It’s all too easy to become distracted, to be consumed by what-ifs and negative emotions, and to be down on your game and yourself. To be telling yourself that you’re just not good today.

Djokovic: I'm here to win title

Someone in Djokovic’s orbit who understands the power of the mind to change how you experience the environment you’re in is Wim Hof, the ice bath evangelist.

As Djokovic once told Hof, there are environmental factors that can distract a tennis player, such as having a blinding sun in your eyes. Add that to the other insecurities in your mind and the danger is that all that negativity can flood your brain.

That’s when Djokovic must try to shift the conversation in his head, to get back to the positive messages of telling himself that he is good enough, that he’s going to try to perform to the best of his abilities and that however the match plays out, he will accept the result.

It helps, Djokovic has found, to know that whatever has happened in the past, the next time he appears on court he will be disturbed and distracted in some fresh way. He’s prepared for that. 

Beast mode

Djokovic has “a beast mode”, according to his friend and former Serbian player Viktor Troicki. Casper Ruud, who played against Djokovic in the 2023 Roland-Garros final, said, “when it matters the most, Novak plays some of his best tennis almost all the time.

“Novak has stepped it up in the most clutch moments of his career. Of course, you’re going to lose some matches and titles but it feels as though 95 per cent of the time in tough matches he finds some kind of inner drive or motivation to play his best,” Ruud said.

“He’s been very open about the mental part of the game. Anyone can play a forehand or a backhand but can they do it when they are under pressure or when they’re playing the most important points?

"Novak’s been able to do that, which is why he is pretty much on top of every record. Novak has taken his mental game to the highest level. He’s a tough warrior. He never backs down, never gives up.” 

Peering into his opponent’s head

When changing ends, or when sitting down between games, Djokovic is looking to make eye contact with his opponent: that’s one way of seeing how his rival is feeling on court.

There’s no physical contact in tennis, as Djokovic has noted, but there’s plenty of eye contact; you can jab away at each other with your eyeballs.

How’s his opponent drinking his water today? Curious to understand how his adversary is feeling and what he’s thinking, Djokovic is gathering as much information as he can. Is his rival’s shirt clingy with sweat? How’s his opponent breathing?

There’s more: Djokovic is also scrutinising how his opponent is talking to his coaching staff. 

No Panic 

“Novak’s able to raise his level when it counts. Mentally, he goes to a different place and he’s super calm,” said Frances Tiafoe.

Even when Djokovic becomes emotional on court, you never get the sense he’s panicking.

“It’s amazing how Novak copes with difficult situations during matches,” Serbian former world No.1 Jelena Jankovic said.

“Other players would panic or get really nervous. Like other players, he has ups and downs but what he’s able to do better than other players is find a way to get himself up and stay calm and focused and really strong mentally in the important moments. At the crucial times of the match, he’s the strongest one of all.”

As Chris Evert said: “When Novak walks out on the court, he knows he’s mentally and emotionally superior to any opponent.”