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MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 5, 2016

Novak Djokovic

Madrid, Spain

N. DJOKOVIC/R. Bautista Agut

6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. After the 2-2 you broke and started playing extremely well. Even your coach was surprised. What do you think can be the reasons?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: He didn't tell me he was surprised. I don't know if he looked surprised, but I'm glad I can still surprise him.

It was exactly after 2-All, that long game when I managed to break his serve. Flawless performance after that. Everything worked very well.

The conditions were a bit slower than was the case yesterday because it was cloudy, so if felt on the court that you have more clay so you could actually be more aggressive and step in, which I did.

I didn't give him too much time. I think I used the variation of the shots, opening up the court, flat, down the lines, and slices, and you know, also different rotations on the serve.

So always trying to mix up the pace, which I think he didn't like. Very, very pleased with the performance.

Q. How are you feeling after your first two matches in the tournament?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, the first match of the tournament was very solid, although I thought there were some things that I could have done better.

Today the way I played gives me a lot of satisfaction and conversation. I'm just hoping I can continue playing this well tomorrow.

Q. You are now facing Raonic or Tsonga. Which one do you prefer?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, both of those guys are serving very big. Raonic probably has a slightly better serve, but Tsonga is a player that moves better on clay and plays generally better than Raonic on this surface.

That doesn't mean anything, because Raonic in the last couple of years in Madrid with this altitude has been making some good results. He's been showing some good tennis.

So both of those guys rely heavily on their first serves. If the first serve percentage is high, they can be a threat to any player on any surface.

Whoever I get to play against, I know that one of the key elements for me and things that I have to do well in order to win is the return, get back in play as many balls as possible, serve well with the high percentage, and then hope for the best.

Q. You spoke yesterday about how you are kind of a mentor and part-time add adviser to Borna. I'm I right in thinking you're still quite close with Tomic as well?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: With Bernard?

Q. Yeah.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I mean, we know each other for quite a long time, and he is also somebody that speaks our language. So we get to practice a lot together, and we did talk about tennis and more technical stuff. The off-court stuff we didn't talk too much about.

Q. I'm just wondering...
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Obviously.

Q. Just wondering what you think about the wisdom of his remarks yesterday. Did you hear about them?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I didn't hear what his remarks were, but I've seen what he has done. You know, it's not right. I hope he realizes that. The sooner the better for him, because he is still relatively young and he can definitely be a better player and better ranked than he is now.

Everybody knows that. I think he knows that. But he doesn't seem to really get things the right way off the court. I'm just hoping for him, because generally I -- over last couple of years I got to know him better and he's a good guy, he's a good person, but he's just failing to be committed to this sport as it is required.

So I'm hoping for his sake that he's going to do better.

Q. He actually said the was the effect of when he was asked about batting back the match point, Why should I worry? I'm 23 years old and I've got $10 million? Is that a wise thing to say?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You tell me.

Q. I don't think it is, but I would like to ask you.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't think it is, too. I think just many things that he says are not well thought from his side. He gets emotional very quickly and things get out of context. Unfortunately it fires back right at him.

As somebody that knows him well, and I really think he's a good guy, I really hope he's going to get it right. Too many things lately starting to -- he's starting to feel too much probably pressure outside as well, that he has to deliver.

Which he was results-wise. I think last season it was probably one of his most consistent seasons since he started playing. He started working harder and being more committed to the practice sessions.

Still, the private life and all the decisions you make off the court greatly affect your play. It's a learning curve for him and for any young player. I've felt it on my own skin many times where I've done things that were not right at that time and said some things that I was regretting that I said them.

After that, you learn. You get wiser. You mature through those times. Nobody is perfect. We are all part of this life where it's just a big lesson and school for all of us.

Q. It can be rain tomorrow. What is better for you, playing indoor or outdoor?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Whatever it is, I'm going to get ready for it.

Q. I believe you we at the BernabÃ©u last night. How did you enjoy the experience and who do you think will win in all-Madrid final?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I'm sure that Madrid will celebrate in the finals, that's for sure. (Laughter.)

I enjoyed the experience very much. I wasn't particularly supporting any team, just trying to enjoy the football and the atmosphere that was remarkable really.

Real Madrid and Man City are some of the biggest clubs in the world, and it was quite amazing to see the intensity and the importance of that match.

It was a very, very solid, very tough game and performance from both clubs. I just had a blast. That's all I can say.

Q. It is just an anecdote, but you had a run-in with the cameraman, and Andy earlier was getting mad at the SpiderCam, and it happens a lot in many tournaments. I wonder if you guys make specific effort and focus not to notice these kind of things, or is there work to be done about that?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It happens. You know, this particular situation today, he was probably following me and didn't see that Roberto was kind of passing, so I stopped for a second and he almost hit me with a camera.

Again, he apologized and apologized in the end of the -- it's not something that I get upset with, the SpiderCam. Sometimes Spiderman gets in your way. What can I say? It's all for entertainment.

Q. Do you think that you can do the Grand Slam this year?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I would lie if I say that I cannot and that I'm not believing I can. Of course I do. I believe in myself. I always have.

But it's a long season, so I think it wouldn't be so wise from my side to think and talk about Grand Slams and only those tournaments, even though of course it's an ultimate challenge in our sport that was achieved by only one player in the history of the game to win all four in a season.

It would be disrespectful for the tournaments like Madrid or the other tournaments in between to talk about Grand Slams, so I will focus on this one and see where it takes me.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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