After his mauling of Rafael Nadal for the Qatar ExxonMobil Open title on Saturday, Novak Djokovic said it was one of those days when he was seeing the ball like a watermelon. Well, he has been sighting the ball like that for more than 12 months now.
It was the kind of a display which drew admiration not just from the connoisseurs of the game, but even from his vanquished rival Nadal. The Spaniard called it ‘stratospheric’, and the 14-time Grand Slam couldn’t have put it more aptly.
At the Khalifa Complex, the World No. 1 Serb’s domination was such that Djokovic was forced  to acknowledge his own mastery: “It did feel as close to perfection as it can get.”
After a dominating 2015, there were question marks over whether the Serbian can continue to play the high level of tennis in 2016. At the Qatar Open, Djokovic proved he could and in fact, raise the level a notch higher. In his 6-1, 6-2 win over Nadal, Djokovic played with the kind of form so rarely exhibited from a player in the opening week of the season.
There was no early-season rustiness from Djokovic, or lack of playing time, having taken six weeks off after his title-winning spree in 2015. So does Djokovic feel invincible? “No, I don’t feel invincible. Nobody is invincible,” the 10-time Grand Slam champion offered after winning his 60th-career title.
“But I’m playing the tennis of my life, and I will try to nurture and cherish those moments on the court. I will use this confidence level in every tournament that I play on. I know that it can’t go on forever, but I’m not thinking too much ahead of myself. I don’t try to make any kind of predictions or whether or not I’m going to have another streak or whether or not I’m going to have the season of my life. I try not to go too far with my thoughts, because that creates a little bit of a distraction emotionally,” he added
Staying in the moment and focusing on the future is what Djokovic says he has been doing. Easier said than done, considering that he has won three Grand Slams and six Masters titles in 2015. Add to that the arrival of his son, Stefan, in October 2014, and life can get busier.
An avid reader, Djokovic says his interest in knowing more about psychology has surely helped. “Interest for reading shifts a lot but mostly I am interested in psychology. I’m interested, as well, in things that are concerning a little bit more, say, holistic approach to life.
“So I have read a couple of things, couple of books, but one of the things that I was reading most in the last month and a half was the magazine that it’s called Original. It’s only published in Serbia. It’s a new magazine that my wife and her team have been publishing for the last four months, and it’s been created for the students to give them more information about life in general and what awaits them and how they can actually take things in their control, a lot of different interesting things that you can read there,” he explained.
Looking ahead to the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam, which he has won five times, the last four in five years, Djokovic said his triumph in Doha and the confidence it gave him, would not just keep him in good stead for Melbourne but also for the rest of the season.
“Well, I haven’t dropped a set the entire week (in Doha). When it was most needed against, you know, one of my biggest rivals, I managed to play the best tennis in a match where I fought for the trophy. So it does definitely give me a great deal of confidence for the rest of the season.
“But, you know, my thoughts are only directed to Melbourne and what I need to do there. I think I’m ready for the competition. I’m hoping I can continue this run and this great level of performance,” he noted.
Before taking off for Australia, Nadal said: “It’s obvious that Novak playing like this is going to be so difficult to beat him for anyone.”