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ROLEX PARIS MASTERS

November 1, 2019

Novak Djokovic

Paris, France

N. DJOKOVIC/S. Tsitsipas

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. It was a perfect match. Have you played better than today?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: As I said on the court, I played one of the best matches of the season. I prepared myself very well for this match. I lost to Stefanos about three weeks ago in Shanghai. And obviously I went through the videos and understanding on what I did well, what I didn't do so well, what I can do better.

Obviously different conditions, you know, indoors, but I managed to really start off well and didn't really allow him too many opportunities to really come back.

At the beginning of the second, it was very important for me to get an early break, which I did. And after that, you know, I just, you know, kind of went for a lot of shots and it worked. You know, I served well. I read his serve very well, as well. Put him under pressure constantly.

It was a great match.

Q. There was another exchange with your box, as there was yesterday. You turned around and you were quite exuberant. Is it because there's something you've been working on in particular, or something you feel you have improved, or is there a particular reason for that?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No. As I told you yesterday, you know, it's just winning a match. You know, obviously, sometimes you do feel that it's more important, I guess, to win a specific match against a specific opponent.

And just, you know, building the tension before the match and everything and trying to get yourself in the right hype or the right state of mind. And then understanding the importance of the win, then you share it with your team. That's all.

So just emotionally sometimes you feel like doing that, sometimes I don't. There's no any particular reason or any rule or any routine, so to say.

It's just they're my team. They're the people that I look at the most when I'm playing, you know, a tennis match. So wherever I am in the world, I have that to rely on.

Q. You're getting Grigor next. I'm curious how somebody like you, who has been so consistent in his career, looks at somebody like Grigor who is so gifted but has been so up and down. What do you take when you look at what he has achieved?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, he has been one of the best talents we had in the sport in the last decade for sure. You know, and there's been a lot of comparison with his game and Federer's game. And he managed to play semis of the Grand Slam against me in Wimbledon and got to top 10 and played really well.

And then he struggled a bit with consistency lately, but since US Open he's playing at a different level, a high level. He always had the game. It's just sometimes it's a matter of things coming together, really, mentally and the right time, I guess.

And the last three months have been quite good for him results-wise. You know, beating Roger in US Open was a huge confidence booster for him, I'm sure.

And he's been playing some terrific tennis this week. I saw him play the last couple of days. He seems to really like the conditions here.

So I don't play too bad myself, so it's going to be for sure a good one.

Q. Just to follow up on that, you've got a very good record against him, 8-1. For all the talent that he's got, there's some vulnerability. You mentioned things coming together mentally. Do you think that in the past he drops off in matches? Is there something about him that can't quite...
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it depends on the surface you're playing against him. The quicker it is, I think the better chance I think he's got. On grass court particularly, he's playing very well.

But, you know, he's also played well on the other surfaces. It's just that I think his game is more suitable for the quicker surfaces, I would say.

And, you know, maybe the backhand. I mean, obviously the backhand was always his kind of weaker shot compared to his forehand.

So I think that judging by last couple of months, last couple matches I've seen, he's been feeling the backhand really well. So, obviously, most of the players are trying to attack that vulnerable side of his game.

But he mixes it up really well with the slice. He blocks a lot of returns and gets back into play and he moves extremely well. I think he's one of the fittest guys on the tour. So that helps him, always being in the right position.

Q. Your voice is better but not perfectly clear yet. How do you feel?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's okay. It's okay. I'm getting there step by step.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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