Novak Djokovic’s revealing interview with Piers Morgan threw up so many compelling talking points and one evolved around the huge sums of money turned down by the Serbian superstar after he was offered potential sponsorship deals.
Djokovic’s eagerness to stand by his principles and only work with brands that aligned with his beliefs was a costly approach, with the Serbian revealing he rejected a multi-million dollar offer from a fizzing drink supplier as part of his conversation with Morgan.
While Djokovic has collected huge sums from sponsors like Lacoste, ACICS and Aman luxury hotel partnerships, he could have earned even more if he were willing to snap up the offers that came his way.
“I refused a lot of the big brands and big paychecks in my career because I cannot represent something that I don’t believe in,” declared Djokovic during the interview.
Now coaching guru Patrick Mouratoglou has given his verdict on those comments, as he suggested Djokovic’s principles are an impressive part of his personality that highlight his authenticity.
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“Most athletes dream of huge sponsorship deals. Novak Djokovic has turned down some of the biggest. And the reason says everything about him,” said Mouratoglou on LinkedIn.
“In his conversation with Piers Morgan, Novak Djokovic said something that reveals who he truly is: this is one of the reasons why I’ve always liked Novak so much. He is a true person.
“It’s almost ironic: for years, people said he was the “fake” one. Yet he is probably the least fake person in the entire tennis world.
“Novak has real convictions and money will never make him do something that goes against what he believes. Most people don’t realize how rare that is.
“I know for a fact that he has turned down many deals over the years: because he didn’t believe in the product, because he didn’t align with the company’s values, because he didn’t think video games were good for kids, even if the contract was huge for instance…
“Whether you agree with his views or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that he acts according to them.
“Manny will say, ‘It’s easy for him, he’s rich’. But let me tell you something: Most players who make the same kind of money do not turn down contracts for personal beliefs.
“And second: Don’t think that people who have a lot of money don’t want more. For most, it’s never “enough.”
“That’s human nature, especially in a career where you spend 20 years earning almost nothing before finally having a 10–15 year window to secure your financial life.
“That’s why Novak is different. For him, money is not a value. Security matters. Stability matters. But not at the price of his integrity.
“Whether you like Novak or you don’t, this part of his personality deserves respect.”
Djokovic’s army of fans around the world will echo Mouratoglou’s sentiments, with the $191,252,375 he has won in prize money on court over the course of his record-breaking career helping him to turn down the big money offers he did not want to be identified with.
The post Novak Djokovic praised for turning down ‘mega money deals’ most athletes would take appeared first on Tennis365.
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