{
  "id": 8757889,
  "title": "Novak Djokovic reveals what he did at the start of his career that his rivals didn’t like, ‘I stopped doing that’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/novak-djokovic-reveals-what-he-did-at-the-start-of-his-career-that",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-20T20:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/novak-djokovic-reveals-did-start-200000390.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Novak Djokovic, the tennis icon, has revealed that his rivals once disliked a certain aspect of his early career. The 39-year-old had been absent from the sport following a shocking first-round exit at the US Open, which was a disappointing end to a remarkable Grand Slam year. Djokovic reached a Wimbledon semi-final and beat Jannik Sinner before losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final. With no more major titles to aim for until 2027, his prime time seems to be dwindling. However, Djokovic remains undeterred and upbeat.\n\nDuring an appearance on Kevin Hart's 'Cold as Balls' show, Djokovic played along with various humorous questions, submerged in an ice bath. He claimed that Alcaraz and Sinner had somewhat copied his play style, but later mentioned that Serena Williams, Federer, and Rafael Nadal were on his tennis Mount Rushmore. His final choice was a playful nod to the comedian himself: \"Kevin Hart!\"\n\nWhen asked about the assistance he received when he was just starting out on the ATP Tour, Djokovic named Mario Ančić and Ivan Ljubicic. Both players were ranked third and seventh, respectively, at the time. Djokovic revealed that the best advice he ever received was to be his authentic self and not to imitate others. In the past, he used to do a lot of impersonations to fit in, but he realized that connecting with people through his genuine personality was key to his long and successful career.",
  "summary": "Novak Djokovic has been relatively absent ever since suffering his shock first-round exit at the US Open. It marked a hugely disappointing end to an...",
  "key_points": [
    "Novak Djokovic once imitated others to fit in, disliked by rivals.",
    "He realized connecting through genuine personality was key to success.",
    "Djokovic credits Mario Ančić and Ivan Ljubicic for best career advice."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}