Novak Djokovic Is Obsessed with Jannik Sinner: His Request

Novak Djokovic isn’t giving up. The 39-year-old champion, despite his first-round loss at the most recent U.S. Open, still hopes to achieve success on the tour and is training with enviable perfectionism and meticulousness. His physical therapist, Carlos Costa, speaking to A Bola, revealed just how much Nole pays attention to the smallest details during his training sessions.

“I’ve never seen anything like Novak Djokovic,” Costa explained. He pays attention to every detail, even how long it takes us to hand him a towel… if something isn’t as planned, it creates friction. He even goes so far as to create tests within the team to find out if we’re truly seeking the best recovery strategies and providing the most effective treatments.”

Among the examples Costa gave, one also involves Jannik Sinner. Djokovic was intrigued by the visual training the South Tyrolean does—a method he’d like to apply to himself as well: “He asked us why Sinner was doing visual training and we weren’t. He’s constantly looking for ways to be the best in the world.”

Some clips Sinner has posted in the past have shown the Italian player’s innovative training method, focused on the visual and vestibular systems. In one of these exercises, Sinner lies on his back, fixating on a specific point or letter on a tennis ball suspended from a string that swings like a pendulum. This exercise trains smooth visual tracking, forcing the eyes to maintain a stable and sharp focus while the object continuously changes speed and direction.

In another exercise, the world No. 1 performs rapid head movements to the right and left (or diagonally) while keeping his gaze strictly fixed on a stationary target. This dissociates neck movement from eye movement, which is essential for not losing sight of the ball while running on the court. It’s a practice that Djokovic envies and has asked to add to his training routine.