It must not be easy to take care of a person on whom so many looks fall. Working with an elite athlete is an absolute responsibility: when you are in charge of making sure their machinery is oiled and polished, that responsibility is multiplied even more. Ulysses Badio he knows well: he went to him Novak Djokovic in his worst moments and with him he has remained, right by his side, since that 2017 in which Novak himself came to doubt his physique. It is an absolutely fundamental part of his success, an essential piece within his work team. As an example, a button: the first person on his team whom the Serbian hugged after conquering Wimbledon 2022 It was the Argentine. There is nothing.
In a way, the so special connection handled by Novak and Ulises has a simple explanation. Both approach a way of life holistic, share his sympathy for alternative physical therapies and do not understand any other way of working than controlling everything to the absolute millimeter. The precision of a surgeon in the hands of Badio have allowed Djokovic, for example, to continue his journey at the last Australian Open 2021 after suffering a abdominal rupture in the round of 16, against Taylor Fritz. Ulises joined Novak’s team in 2017, but as he himself confesses in an interesting interview with SPortal.rs, he had known the Belgrade player for much longer, specifically since his time as a physiotherapist in the ATP.
“I started working for the ATP between 2011 and 2012, so we saw each other from time to time. As a physiotherapist I have always had various goals since I was a child, and my dream was always to start working with ‘the number one’. Years passed and, finally, in 2017 Novak asked me if he wanted to join his team to start treating him. He invited me to go to Roland Garros with him and since then here we are, together”, recalls a Badio who does not neglect the enormous responsibility that his work gives him. Despite this union, almost of ‘brotherhood’ that he shares with Novak, he is absolutely devoted to his work and prioritizes the professional relationship above all else. There is too much at stake:
“The responsibility that there is on a tennis player like Novak is of the 200%. When you treat an athlete like that, at such a high level, you can always be close to injuring him. You must know in detail both his anatomy and your profession. For me it was very important to have a lot of experience in my field of work and, in this case, to be a little more open to a more alternative and holistic philosophy. We work with him 24 hours a day. I can’t just spend four hours with him, in his training, and see him before the game. I follow him at all times, even when he is sitting to see what his posture is, or to know how much water he has drunk, or if he has talked to someone on the phone for a long time: every little detail matters and it can affect him in the match.”
ULI, THE SOUL OF THE TEAM
Djokovic always prioritizes health and a optimal fitness above everything else. It is seen in his statements, putting this question ahead before giving an opinion on how much time he has left on the circuit. Therefore, it is important to keep close to a ‘magical’ man, who in addition to doing his job like a charm, also knows how to provide atmosphere behind the lights. “When I came to the team I knew how to work and what my job was professionally, but not what my role was within the team. However, Novak and I created a close bond and we started to know each other from the beginning. There was an important connection among us”. We will see if Badio will say present in New Yorka possible next challenge that is still far away for his pupil.
