"I loved Michael Jordan & Pete Sampras, but Andre Agassi's style is unique" - When Novak Djokovic revealed inspiration behind on-court fashion choices

Novak Djokovic is known world-over for his prowess on the tennis court, mainly as the player with the most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era. With 24 Majors to his name, no one but Margaret Court has won as many in the history of the tennis sport, not even the likes of legends like Steffi Graf or Serena Williams.

As much as his tennis skills, the Serb is also recognized for his fashion choices on the court, often sporting funky styles that go hand-in-hand with his one-of-a-kind personality.

Speaking in an interview with the New York Times in 2015, the 24-time Grand Slam champion opened up about where he got the inspiration. While Djokovic admitted that he enjoyed owning the jerseys of sporting legends like Michael Jordan of the NBA and 14-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras, there was another player that he thought was extra special.

That player turned out to be eight-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 Andre Agassi, whose inspiration ended up putting a lot of colorful clothes in Djokovic's closet.

“When I was growing up, I did have a lot of sports jerseys from different sports,” he said. “I loved Michael Jordan and Pete Sampras, and I tried to copy those guys, but Andre Agassi’s on-court style is unique, so I did have a lot of colorful clothes in my closet.”

At the interview, Djokovic also spoke about how he relaxed during the course of the hectic tennis calendar, revealing his meditation practices and shedding light on the spiritual aspect of his life.

“One of the ways is to kind of meditate, but not meditate with the intention of going away from those problems, but visualize,” Djokovic said. “Visualization is a big part of everybody’s life, not just athletes’, but everybody. I strongly believe in visualization. I believe that there is a law of attraction: You get the things that you produce in your thoughts. Life just works that way.”

"I like to be in the creative spirit all the time" - Novak Djokovic

2023 US Open - Day 14 - Source: Getty

Novak Djokovic further spoke about his 'creative' spirit in the conversation with the New York Times, touching upon a key core-belief of his.

The Serb revealed that his mental approach to life was that a person who was not progressing was simply regressing, meaning he did his best to make sure he was always getting the best out of everything he pursued.

“I like to be in the creative spirit all the time,” Djokovic said. “I think you either progress or regress, so it’s either going up or down. Everybody is moving, the people, our planet, so you either keep up with it or you just stay where you are. But staying where you are, you actually regress.”

Djokovic, having won more Grand Slams than anyone in the Open Era, is still an active part of the ATP Tour, and continues to be a major threat to the current generation. In 2024, he won the Paris Olympics gold medal, beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.