"There's a lot of trash talk inside my head, it's part of who I am" - Novak Djokovic on how he deals with his frustrations on the court

Novak Djokovic recently suggested that he trash-talks himself while going through a rough patch during a match.

Djokovic qualified for the fourth round of the Australian Open 2024 by securing a 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(2) win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry from Argentina on Friday, January 19. He didn't encounter much resistance from Etcheverry in the first two sets, converting three break points.

Etcheverry, however, put up a fight in the deciding set by keeping his serve unchallenged throughout. This visibly irritated the Serb as he was seen hitting his head with the racket once at Rod Laver Arena.

During his post-match press conference, the 24-time Grand Slam champion claimed that he doesn't refrain from schooling himself to stay in touch.

"There's a lot of trash talk happening inside of my head. I guess it's part of the game. It's part of who I am," he said.

Djokovic further asserted that there's nothing extraordinary about experiencing the lows on a tennis court but it's important to regain concentration.

"I mean, I'm quite certain that everyone goes through their crisis moments, particularly in the matches where they don't feel their best and they have doubts. The question is how you overcome those doubts and focus on being in the present and trying to get the most out of yourself for the next point," he added.

The 36-year-old continued:

"I do have extrovert kind of personality. I show my emotions - not always - but it does happen. When I show the bad side of my emotions, it's ugly and it's not something I enjoy. It is what it is."

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Novak Djokovic: "I'm trying to fight the demons that I have"

Novak Djokovic celebrates match point against Tomas Martin Etcheverry: 2024 Australian Open

During the press conference, Novak Djokovic also stated that he was constantly trying to overcome his fears while competing on the court.

"I'm trying to fight the demons that I have, as anybody else, on the court. Sometimes it works better, sometimes not so great," he said.

Ahead of his fourth-round duel with Adrian Mannarino, the Serb talked in detail about the mental hardships he faces. He said:

"You just have to accept the circumstances, depending on how you feel against certain opponent on the given day. Sometimes you just wake up not feeling great, and you start to doubt that you can win a match or play well. Those are some of the things you have to deal with mentally during the match."