Novak Djokovic, entering the 141st week of his career at No 1 in the world and fresh off a milestone fifth ATP Miami Masters title, just wants to keep up the pace as long as he can.
“I’m trying to enjoy the moment and also utilise this time of my career. I’m feeling confident and physically fit,” Djokovic said Sunday after a gritty three-set triumph over Andy Murray in the Miami final.
“I’m trying to use that. That’s what I’m thinking about right now,” added the 27-year-old Serb, who goes into the European claycourt season highlighted by the French Open having won the three biggest tournaments of the first quarter of the year: the Australian Open and both the Indian Wells and Miami Masters.
“I am aware that this cannot go forever,” Djokovic said. “There is going to be eventually a change of generations, some players that are going to start playing better and be stronger.
“But until that time comes, I’m going to try to stay as long as I can on the top and fight for the biggest titles.”
With 4,000 points separating him from Roger Federer at No 2 in the world, Djokovic is poised to finish at No 1 in the world for the fourth time in five years.
His 22nd ATP Masters victory is just one short of Roger Federer’s 23 on a list led by Rafael Nadal’s 27.
Djokovic became the first player to sweep the back-to-back titles at Indian Wells and Miami for a third time.
It’s the kind of achievement that he says fuels his ambition.
“Of course I do pay attention of that,” he said. “Any kind of achievement that goes into history books I’m hugely proud of and I appreciate it very much, because I work hard for it and I do cherish it.”
Djokovic’s victory in Melbourne was his eighth grand slam triumph and his first since becoming a father and husband last year.
He says having a family had added a new dimension to his successes on court.
A rigorous fitness regime allows him to play at a high level tournament after tournament, while coach Boris Becker has helped him hone his mental game.
He needed all of his physical reserves in punishing heat and humidity against Murray.
But after a second-set dip in his energy level he roared back for a 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-0 triumph – his seventh straight win against the Briton.
“I managed to, again, rely on the energy supply that I have in my legs and my fitness to basically hold on and make it all the way through the match, play the third set the way I have played, like I haven’t really been exhausted too much even though we played over two and a half hours.”
But fitness isn’t everything, Djokovic said, especially on the game’s biggest stages.
“Obviously tennis is an individual and very complex sport,” he said. “It requires a right balance between the physical preparation and mental strength and emotional, I would say, calmness and self-belief.
“You kind of holistically need to approach it and be at your top.”
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Messi at the Copa America
2007 – lost 3-0 to Brazil in the final
2011 – lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals
2015 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
2016 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
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