One question from his psychologist made Novak Djokovic rethink his life. Most people can't answer it

What does it take to be the best of the best? 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic shared an important question Dr. Jim Loehr asked him that altered the way he looked at his life, purpose, and success. Djokovic told Jay Shetty on a 2025 episode of his podcast "On Purpose" that Dr. Loehr was one of the best psychologists he had worked with. The question was, "What would you like to have written on your tombstone?" It was a simple question, but it made Djokovic ponder his answer deeply. The clip was reshared by The Inner Game (@theinnergame) on Instagram on June 6, 2026, and it received 90,100 views, 4,846 likes, and 31 comments.

An important question for everyone

Dr. Loehr's question made Djokovic reflect on whether he wanted his achievements to be listed on his tombstone or if he wanted to be remembered for something else. Djokovic explained, "We would go through a process of writing things down and really deconstructing my personality, my life, what I'm living in the given moment, and how I see the future itself, how I see the future of the world, and whether I feel like I strongly believe that I can make that impact." Framing his thoughts around Dr. Loehr's question about himself gave him a sense of purpose.

What impact did you leave behind?

Djokovic emphasized that it was not all about him. The question made him analyze his connection to his surroundings. Attaining success was not the only goal. Dr. Loehr's question made him think about the kind of mark he would leave on the world after he's gone. "What's the legacy? What do you leave behind? How do people benefit from you and what you say, what you do, what you create? So, that's kind of a driving force," he said.

Djokovic's impact

Novak Djokovic was ranked 67th on YouGov's "Most Popular All-Time Sports Personalities" in 2026. Additionally, a Eurosport poll revealed that 51% of respondents believed Djokovic was the real GOAT and the Serbian Champion when it comes to tennis. However, former tennis player John McEnroe said, "Roger Federer is the GOAT on grass, Djokovic is the best on hard, and Rafael Nadal on clay."

Aside from his popularity and fame, Djokovic has made a real difference in the world. Djokovic and his wife, Jelena, founded the Novak Djokovic Foundation in 2007. The main goal of the foundation is to "enable every child in Serbia to attend early years programs." So far, they have built 73 preschools, supported 9,470 parents, trained 2,237 teachers, and helped 56,545 children.

Already a legend

People were impressed with Djokovic's answer, but several people also recognized the impact he has made on the world so far. @sebastian_jankowski wrote, "You can like him or not, but he’s a f*cking legend already." @tarcuk added, "Only that stays behind you are the titles, your personality will be forgotten yesterday!"

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