Novak Djokovic saves himself at the French Open with a toilet break

The number one tennis rankings fluctuated briefly in the last 16 of the French Open on Monday. Novak Djokovic stopped after two sets vs Italian Lorenzo Mossetti (19) ie your back to the wall. The Serb lost two spells.

Then the 34-year-old took a break – Using a toilet break. Except that he never went to the toilet, as he later reported. “I went out to change,” Djoker explains. “When I got back on the field, I felt different.”

With a brief pause for thought in the coat room, Djokovic managed to turn things around against the 19-year-old Italian. “I was a different player,” the world number one said happily. “I had a better feeling in my shots and reduced the number of fouls.”

There is a psychological trick behind this. “Even if it’s just a few minutes break from this environment: mentally everything goes back to zero. I’ve already seen it in the past,” admits the 34-year-old.

Even in the past, he would sometimes “just want” to leave the place. The veteran knows: “It’s good to rejuvenate and get back on the field as a new player.”

After a “toilet break”, Djoker gives his younger opponent only one match. At 6:7, 6:7, 6:1, 6:0 and 4:0, the Italian threw himself in the towel, physically damaged.

“I love playing my top five against young players. Even if they go by a set or two, I still have my chances,” Djokovic said. “And I know how to tire my opponent.”