The 22-year-old completed his 94th match - the most by any player on the ATP Tour this year - on Sunday when he edged past Frenchman Gael Monfils in a gruelling final of the Paris Masters.
Those were amassed in the 21 tournaments he played this year compared to just 17 for Andy Murray, 16 for Rafael Nadal and just 14 for world No.1 Roger Federer - his main rivals for the world top spot.
Djokovic could have been excused had he bowed out early in the Bercy Arena - as did Federer and Murray - with the prestigious season-ending ATP World Tour Finals over a week away.
But despite admitting that he was running on reserve, Djokovic gave it all he had especially in his quarter-final win against Robin Soderling and in the final against Monfils.
There had never been a question in his mind of not giving it 100 percent.
"I don't want to waste any tournaments," he said.
"I want to perform my best in every match I play. Some critics could say that it's wrong for the Masters Cup in London. But still, I think it's good because who knows what's going to happen in one week. You live for today.
"Now I'm going to London with confidence and the only question is if I'm able to physically rest and get energy for that event.
"Some players might think differently and of course I respect that. Everybody has his own way of professionalism."
Djokovic's emphasis on fitness and hard graft has not always been a mark of his game.
After bursting onto the scene in 2005 with runs into the third round at Wimbledon and the US Open, Djokovic earned a reputation for being talented but flawed, both physically and mentally.
He surprised many observers by reaching the final of the US Open in September 2007 and then winning the Australian Open a few months later.
But despite finishing third in the world for the second straight year and winning the Masters Cup in Shanghai, he came to the conclusion that to compete with the likes of Federer and Nadal, he needed to make improvements to his preparation and fitness levels.
On the psychological side he brought in one of the game's most astute former players - Todd Martin of the United States - while for the physical he hired the services of Ronald Leitgeb, the coach who turned Austria's Thomas Muster into the hardman of tennis.
The rest, he knew, was up to him, hence the decision to make 2009 the year of playing copiously. Djokovic says he is now reaping the dividends.
"I think in a way my mental strength was trained throughout playing in so many important matches in the big tournaments against big players," he said.
"I've had many experiences and when you have so many situations you start learning from these experiences."
The past year for Djokovic has indeed been astounding as he played in an ATP World Tour-best 10 finals, winning five of them, and only once failed to make it into the quarter-finals - a third round loss in the French Open.
His 76-18 match record, including 51-10 on hard courts, are in both cases the most by any player this year.
Should he defend his title in London, Djokovic will finish with 99 matches under his belt and he believes it will set him up for a crack at the world No.1 spot next year.
"I really have big plans for next year. I will just try to physically get ready and mentally as well," he said.
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