Dearest Darling Friends,

In his book ‘Serve To Win’, Djokovic serves up a slice of his life that’s as rich and complex as a gourmet dessert, but with far fewer calories. He recounts the aftermath of his historic victory at the 2012 Australian Open, a match that lasted longer than a transatlantic flight and left even spectators feeling exhausted.

 

The 2012 Australian Open Men’s Singles final was the championship tennis match of the men’s singles tournament between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, at the time ranked the number 1 and 2 players in the world, respectively.

 

A defining match in the Djokovic–Nadal rivalry, the Serb defeated the Spaniard 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7(5–7), 7–5 to win the tournament.

 

It was both the longest Australian Open match and the longest major final match (by duration) in history, lasting 5 hours 53 minutes, overtaking the record previously set by the 1988 US Open final between Mats Wilander and Ivan Lendl.

 

It is considered to be one of the greatest and most physical tennis matches of all time. With both players at their highest levels, the match was regarded as a war of attrition with impeccable quality throughout the duration of play. It remains the only time that Nadal has lost a major final after winning the first set.

 

Novak Djokovic – “After I won, I sat in the locker room in Melbourne. I wanted one thing: to taste chocolate. I hadn’t tasted it since the summer of 2010,”

 

But here’s where the plot thickens faster than a chocolate fondue. After this Herculean feat, after etching his name in the annals of tennis history, our hero doesn’t dive headfirst into a vat of cocoa. No, he exercises a level of restraint that would make a Spartan warrior nod in approval.

 

Novak Djokovic- “Miljan brought me a candy bar. I broke off one square- one tiny square —and popped it into my mouth, let it melt on my tongue. That was all I would allow myself.”

 

One square. Let that sink in like a rich truffle melting on your palate. That’s the level of discipline it takes to be at the pinnacle of performance.

 

Djokovic’s chocolate moment is a metaphor for the sacrifices champions make. It’s not just about what they do on the court, track, or field; it’s about the countless tiny decisions they make every day.

 

As the saying goes, “Champions are made when no one is watching,” or in this case, when no one is guarding the candy drawer.

 

This anecdote serves as a powerful reminder that success is about the accumulation of small choices, the daily grind, the ability to say “no” when every fibre of your being is screaming “yes…please indulge!”

 

As Djokovic so eloquently puts it, “That is what it has taken to get to number one.” It’s a sobering thought for those of us who struggle to resist a second helping of dessert, let alone abstain for years.

 

After all, as another great athlete, Muhammad Ali, once said, “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'” Or in Djokovic’s case, suffer now and enjoy your chocolate… eventually.

 

As I read this paragraph from his book, I told myself, “The next time you are tempted to indulge, remember Novak in that locker room, savouring his minuscule morsel of victory.

 

I asked myself, “What’s my chocolate square? What small sacrifice am I willing to make today for a greater reward tomorrow?”

 

Hmmm. I am still fine tuning my answers but I have begun yesterday with a zero sugar, zero milk diet till I reach my desired fitness levels.