The world No. 5 told the ATP: “The greatest lesson of being a father is being present and not multi-tasking while you are with children, because they demand your full attention on whatever you are doing, whether you are playing with them or doing something else.
“You always have to be in that moment. I think that’s what kids teach us the most, really: to be forgiving, to move on and to be present.”
It’s something that Djokovic wishes he took on board earlier in his career. Asked what he would tell his younger self, the 38-year-old replied: “I would tell him to play the long game, be patient and trust the process. And try to have fun and enjoy that process as well.
“Balance the professional and private life. Yes: Be dedicated, be devoted, work hard, that’s a must. But don’t lose yourself in the process. Don’t waste the young years, meaning you should live your life as well because you can’t turn back the time.”
Djokovic has found it increasingly difficult to leave his family at home while travelling on the tennis tour. During the recent US Open, he missed his daughter Tara’s eighth birthday.
“She was not very happy about it, me being absent from the birthday party. So don’t remind me of that, please. But I’ll try to win,” the world No. 5 said after reaching the quarter-finals.
Djokovic kept his word and beat Taylor Fritz on Tara’s birthday – and then celebrated with a dance in tribute to his daughter.
He told the crowd: “It’s my daughter’s birthday, so this is a big present for her. Actually, the dance in the end… she’s going to rate me tomorrow how the dance was because she told me how to dance. It’s KPop Demon Hunters. Soda Pop is the name of the song.”
Djokovic and his family have since uprooted their lives in Serbia and moved to Greece, with Stefan and Tara reportedly attending a private and independent British school.
“We are, as a family, trying to see how the life goes here, the experience. It’s only been less than two months. So we will see how it goes, but so far, as I said, it’s been a very positive experience,” Djokovic told CNN Greece.
The Serbian superstar is currently competing at the ATP 250 event in Athens, where his wife and kids have been able to watch him in action.
