Andy Murray believes Novak Djokovic's lost passion for tennis is "completely understandable," insisting that it is quite normal for players to experience a drop in their level after winning big tournaments.
Murray spoke about Djokovic losing a bit of joy in playing tennis after the Serb captured his first ever French Open title earlier this summer. The world No. 2 claimed that Djokovic losing his form in recent tournaments is a typical thing to competitors, adding that "a lot of players have gone through that."
"It can happen at different stages," Murray said, reports Tennis World USA. "But there can be a low after that. It would be completely understandable to have those feelings. I'm sure a lot of players have experienced that at different stages after big wins in their career. I think it's quite normal."
Djokovic has completely taken over the sport in recent years as he was able to stay atop the ATP World Tour rankings, accumulating 12 Grand Slam singles titles in the process. But after winning the French Open, which also earned him his first non-calendar Grand Slam, Djokovic admitted he is redefining his own meaning of success.
"Since Roland Garros I haven't succeeded in finding emotional fulfillment on court," Djokovic said, reports Tennis Now. "I felt too psychologically burdened in pre-tournament training and official matches, and I didn't like that at all because I don't play tennis only to win titles and be No. 1 in the world."
"I want once again to enjoy every training and every moment I spend on court. The psychological approach and attitude is changing and I want neither to talk nor to think at all about No. 1 or winning titles."
Djokovic's personal struggles were very visible during the course of his campaign at Wimbledon, Rio Olympics, where the Belgrade native suffered early round exits. The 29-year-old Serb was able to bounce back at the US Open, but also fell short in winning the final major of the year after losing to Stan Wawrinka in the final round.
After skipping the China Open due to an elbow injury, Djokovic is poised to return in the tennis scene and defend his title at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. Djokovic has been paired with career rival Rafael Nadal in the same half, and could meet Murray in the final round of the ATP 1000 Masters event.
A win for Djokovic would not only secure himself finishing the year on top of the world rankings, but successfully defending his crown at the tournament could also wake his passion for tennis and bring him back to his winning ways.