Novak Djokovic credits Roger Federer's influence in Grand Slam strategy

Federer has been widely credited as being the first top tennis star to play a comparatively lighter schedule and fully prioritise the biggest tournaments in the sport.

The Swiss did this with huge success as he secured 20 Grand Slam titles during a remarkable 24-year career that concluded in 2022, when he was 41.

Djokovic has followed a similar approach and it has helped him collect a record 24 majors, while he remains at the elite level at the age of 38.

In the latter stages of his career, the Serbian has played increasingly fewer tournaments and placed even greater emphasis on performing at the four Grand Slam events.

Speaking on a podcast with Croatian football manager and former player Slaven Bilic, Djokovic spoke about his scheduling strategy and argued many players fail to prioritise the majors.

"For most of your career, when you're young, every tournament counts," Djokovic explained.

"Many say that the Grand Slams are the most important. But in reality, they don't live and train according to their schedule to be at their best for the Grand Slams, to be as fresh as possible for these events. They don't.

"Why? Maybe they don't believe in themselves enough, that they can go far in a Grand Slam tournament. Not everyone is cut out to compete at the top, and that's normal. But there are ways.

"Federer helped me a lot in that regard, not directly but indirectly. I observed how he planned his schedule. He helped me understand how to manage my form, when to take a break, even if I didn't want to.

"I also made mistakes. I didn't take a break when I should have, but most of the time, I made the right decisions."

The former world No 1 also spoke about the topic in an ESPN interview with John McEnroe in 2023.

"He (Federer) was one of the first players to really take the scheduling, preparation to a different level," Djokovic said.

"I was inspired by that and I was making notes with my team and I was taking a lot from that scheduling. And observing him and his team and how he has gone about it. So thanks Roger."

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