Djokovic has not won his 25th Grand Slam title in his career after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open 2026 final. He is also no longer world No. 1, but has maintained his peak for many years, forcing all opponents to respect him. For him, the price to become No. 1 is discipline, as shown through the sharing of the 38-year-old tennis player.
How much discipline is enough? In January 2012, I defeated Rafa Nadal in the Australian Open final. The match lasted 5 hours 53 minutes - the longest in the history of the tournament and also the longest Grand Slam singles final of the Open Era. Many commentators called it the best tennis match of all time.
After winning, I sat in the locker room in Melbourne. I just wanted one thing: Taste chocolate. I haven't eaten since the summer of 2010. Miljan brought me a candy bar. I broke it into a small square - a very small piece - and put it in my mouth, let it melt on my tongue. Just that much I allowed myself. That's the price to pay to rise to number 1".
Just that, but surely many people will shake their heads, considering it a harsh, extreme discipline. Living like that, what's left to enjoy. But it's the very thing that explains why Djokovic can stand at the peak for so many years.
The price to be number 1 is rarely big things. It can just be refusing a very small joy, at the right time when you feel most worthy of being pampered. It is when no one reminds, monitors, checks, but you still maintain everything under control.
Not only sports, any profession is like that. To be at the top, you must accept taking a disciplined path. Not harsh discipline but a system of rules you set for yourself to optimize life, not because someone forced you, but because you understand its long-term value more than immediate pleasure. Effective discipline must go hand in hand with self-adjustment: Knowing when to be steadfast, when to rest and when to change strategy.
Discipline is not the destination, but the means for you to achieve a greater goal: Freedom to do meaningful things, live according to your own values, not according to momentary emotions, like eating a whole bar of chocolate...
