The Serb holds a superb record against the trio he praised: 16-5 against Ferrer; 13-1 against Stepanek; 11-1 against Simon. Ferrer reached a career-high ranking of World No. 3 in 2013 and won 27 titles before calling time on an illustrious career in 2019.
Stepanek was ranked as high as eighth in singles and won five titles before his retirement in 2017. Meanwhile, Simon - who is still competing at the age of 37 - has won 14 titles and climbed to his best ranking of World No. 6 in 2009.
In an interview with L’Equipe, as reported by We Love Tennis, Djokovic revealed that he does believe in talent, but suggested it is only a small factor in success.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion then identified a group of players he feels exemplify the principle that hard work is more valuable than talent in tennis.
Novak Djokovic faces Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships
Novak Djokovic will face Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships today. The World No. 1 defeated Karen Khachanov in the second round of the ATP 500 tournament on Wednesday.
The Serb lost his only previous career meeting with Vesely in three sets in the second round of the 2016 Monte Carlos Masters. The winner will face either Ricardas Berankis or Denis Shapovalov in the semifinals in Dubai on Friday. The World No. 1 is competing in his first event of the 2022 season.
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