Novak Djokovic's "positive, confident mindset" is why he's the best, believes Chris Evert

Tennis great Chris Evert recently heaped praise on Novak Djokovic, saying he is the "best."

Evert's remarks came after the Serb recently gave an interview to The National News where he commented that when he's on the tennis court against anyone, he's the "best" and that he doesn't find this mentality "arrogant" or "pretentious."

"I know that when I’m ready, when I’m there out on the court, on any surface, against anybody, I’m better, I’m the best. And I don’t think there’s anything arrogant or pretentious about it," he said.

Following this, Chris Evert tweeted that Novak Djokovic's "positive, confident" mindset is what makes him the "best."

"Nope. It’s a positive, confident mindset and that’s why you’re the best!" Evert wrote.

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Novak Djokovic reveals what made his Australian Open 2023 title win "even more special"

Novak Djokovic pictured with his Australian Open 2023 trophy.

In an interview with The National News, Novak Djokovic said that the drama surrounding his deportation from Australia a year ago and the injury he sustained while competing at the 2023 Australian Open made his title victory in Melbourne "even more special."

"Of course there were a lot of questions, a lot of attention towards me, considering what happened 12 months ago, and I could feel that. As much as I wanted to kind of isolate and get away from that, I just had to deal with that," he said.

"And then getting injured a few days before the first match, that was something that I truly didn’t need at that point but at the same time it was somehow arranged by life for me to experience all these challenges. I think there is a reason that I had to go through that journey and it made it even more special," he added further.

The Serb then discussed how some people pointed a finger at him when he revealed his injury to the media. He talked about how there will always be people who criticize him and try to bring him down, but he tries to grow stronger and better from it, using it as fuel.

"I already accepted the fact that there’s always going to be a group of people that is not going to like you, that is not going to like what you say, how you go about your tennis or anything in your private life. There’s always going to be judgement," Djokovic said.

"But you grow stronger from that. At least I try to grow stronger from that, use that as the fuel. Not to prove them, but to fuel my own desire to being better and stronger," he added.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner will next play in the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships scheduled to begin on February 28.