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ROLEX SHANGHAI MASTERS

October 10, 2019

Novak Djokovic

Shanghai, China

N. DJOKOVIC/J. Isner

7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was challenging about that match? Overall, how would you evaluate your performance today?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it's always a big challenge returning the serve of Isner. He's got one of the biggest serves of all time. He's one of the tallest guys ever to play tennis. Obviously with that height, serve is a huge weapon and huge advantage.

I managed to kind of read his serve and find a good position on the return end of the first set and also beginning of the second. You know, I won five games in a row, and that was the key, obviously having a break each set, and then I kind of held my serve. I thought it was one of the best serving matches I had lately.

Q. Between the US Open and Tokyo last week, what were you working on that you feel has led to your performing so well these two weeks?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, there is always some fundamental things to work on in the game that keeps on, I guess, repeating. It's necessary to train in order to feel well, to feel confident, to feel that you're striking the ball nicely.

Nothing really in particular. Actually, the main priority was for me to be healthy and try to rehab, go through rehabilitation process of the shoulder in best possible way, because I didn't know whether I'm going to be able to play Asia or not.

I'm just happy that my shoulder has been holding on and not causing me any pain.

Q. You have a crazy good efficiency at returning John, past matches against him. How do you prepare? Do you watch again the matches you played against him? Have you discovered patterns in his serve?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes. Of course I do my homework, and I talk with my coaches and understand what his pattern is, I mean, what his favorite angles or serves are, if there are some, because he can hit any serve at any angle with any pace and any rotation.

Today I kind of expected him to go more for the second serves, which was the case, but I didn't expect him to not make a single double fault and really hit every second serve over 200. I mean, that was really impressive.

But still, I was very pleased with the way I returned. You know, I returned a lot of balls back and just made him play.

Q. Did you tweak something in your right elbow on a point?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah. Yeah, I did feel a little bit of a pain there when I overstretched, but I played doubles now and it seems to be fine.

Q. Not about the tennis, but before the start of play, there is a little clip that plays out about you talking about Lacoste, your sponsors, and you talk about the polo and the creation of the polo. Do you have any input into the design or into color or whatever each season?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I do have an input on the match wear that I have, and I'm really glad that Lacoste team designers are willing to allow me to be part of that process. It's important for me, you know, to, I guess, feel comfortable but also look nice on the court.

I don't have an input on the actual polo, you know, the classic one. That's up to them, you know, what they do with it. I mean, obviously Rene Lacoste was the inventor of the polo. That's probably the most popular item on their list.

You know, Lacoste has been historically one of the most important brands in tennis, and it's a tennis brand from a tennis player. So I'm just honored to be part of the family.

Q. ATP Cup and Davis Cup, I wondered, I know both events haven't happened yet, but do you think in five years that both competitions will still exist? Because it seemed for a while there were some talks about combining it somehow, and now that seems not possible.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I think everything is really possible. You know, maybe the timing is not just right at the moment.

But I think for the sake of tennis, I honestly hope that the conversations are going to happen again on merging two events into one, a super event, because I think it's necessary, honestly.

I don't think they can both co-exist six weeks apart for many, many years. Formats are very, very similar, if not the same. Of course Davis Cup has the history behind and tradition, and of course the credibility and popularity of a hundred years. ATP Cup is completely new event, but ATP Cup has a better week. It's the beginning of the season. Few weeks before Australian Open starts. Most of the players are already on Australian soil. So most of the top players are actually going to play there.

With Davis Cup, you know, Roger is not playing and, you know, some other guys, so how that's going to turn out, I don't know. I'm going to play it this year. Whether that's going to be the tradition, so to say, every year, I don't know, but the week is really tough, I mean, especially for top guys playing all season and then, you know, playing in London and then literally the next day you have to take a flight and potentially play the next day on different conditions and everything.

Yeah, I mean, look, I think the format change was something that was necessary for Davis Cup. Yes, there is some things that you kind of had to sacrifice unfortunately. Playing at home, you know, home ties and everything, that's probably one of the things that we players like the most with Davis Cup, because we get to play at home. And that isn't the case anymore, so I'm also not a big fan of that decision.

There were some talks that the group stages might be played in maybe three different, four different, five different locations throughout Europe and then everybody comes in for quarters, semis, and finals in Madrid. But that hasn't been the case. They all decided to play in one place.

I think the event in terms of, I guess, market, from the marketing standpoint is going to be successful. I think both actually events are really going to be good.

You know, it's going to be interesting to see how it all turns out. We have to remember that they are only six weeks apart. To have two huge, competitive, you know, team events in our sport so close to each other, that's I don't think long term sustainable, that that probably needs to change.

Q. We understand why you played Tokyo this year, but your fans in Beijing also miss you a lot. It's a tournament you never lost a match after all. My question is are you going to play in Tokyo next year again, or are you back to play China Open?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I miss my fans in Beijing, as well, because they are amazing as well as the guys here. Chinese fans are truly, truly special.

I had a lot of fun as well in Japan this year for the first year. I had a successful week and lots of support there.

I'm going to try to play Olympic Games in Tokyo. That's for sure. I mean, if I'm healthy, if I'm fit, if everything is fine, I'll be there for the Olympic Games.

I'm not sure what's going to happen afterwards for this week, so I still haven't made a decision whether I'm actually going to play at all. That comes a bit later.

Q. You have signed for Davis Cup but also going to play ATP Cup?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes.

Q. What's that mean for 2020 preparation? Cutting vacation? Is it taking a risk too close to the Australian Open?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, well, those are kind of questions that appear in conversation, latest conversations that I had with my wife, as well (smiling). It's, like, short offseason, what does that mean, where do we go, what do we do?

You know, it is the way it is, I guess, and also in the upcoming Olympic year, it's again shorter offseason in the summertime.

So those are the kind of obstacles in a way. Challenges, as well, if you have a family. It's easier when you don't have kids obviously, can decide whatever you want to do or travel to the end of the world and back in a day.

But with kids it's completely different. We still have not decided what, you know, what we want to do after Madrid. Of course I'm going to take a rest for couple of weeks. Where we're going to go, we still don't know. But I think more or less 100% I'm going to stay in Europe for the preparation and maybe use Dubai for a little bit.

I don't know. We'll see. I'm going to try, trying to see if I can bring the family, as well, to Australia. It's a long trip, you know. You have to arrive before, now, I think it starts on 2nd or 3rd, so you've got to arrive to acclimatize at least four or five days before that.

So it is tricky, but, you know, tennis offseason historically is one of the shortest if not "the" shortest season in all professional sports.

But it's okay.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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