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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 24, 2020

Novak Djokovic

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

N. DJOKOVIC/Y. Nishioka

6-3, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You broke Nishioka's serve in each set. Was that a big advantage during match for you?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, when you start every set with a break advantage, of course it gives you more confidence, you know, and you kind of feel a little bit more relaxed. I knew I'm going to have a lot of chances on his service games, because his serve is not his advantage, so to say, his weapon.

I knew I'm going to get a lot of returns back in play and try to be aggressive, protect the line, move him around the court. Kind of give him always a different ball, play pretty fast, as well.

It worked well. Worked really well. I think my serve was, again, very efficient and giving me a lot of free points, a lot of aces and service winners, which was the case in also the opening two matches of Australian Open.

Q. Nishioka is a lefty. He is well known as a kind of tricky player. Seems like it doesn't matter to you. So maybe what did you expect from him? Why can you adjust that well against his tricky play?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, he's definitely one of the quickest, if not the quickest, player we have on the tour, and he gets a lot of balls back.

If you get into the rally with him, you know, and you start to play kind of natural (phonetic) tennis, I mean, this is the style and the rhythm that he likes. He doesn't like when you get him off the balance, play very fast, short balls, mix up the pace.

Of course it's easier said than done. Tactically you need to do the right things in a best possible way and execute those game plans that you have in mind and you prepare for before the match.

I have done that very well against him in the last two matches. That's all that is. Of course sometimes, you know, you just feel better on the court with some players and sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't.

I thought serve both in Madrid in Davis Cup and here when I played him helped me a lot, because I was getting a lot of free points there.

Q. Your service game is obviously looking very good. Any other aspects of the game you're particularly happy with at the moment? Anything you think you need to improve?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I mean, you can always improve. I think that's the beauty of the sport.

I think in terms of service rhythm that I have at the moment, winning percentage from the first serves is really high.

So that's probably as best as my serve can actually be in the moment, which I'm very pleased with. It allows me to go quicker through my games and win more dominantly my service games and put additional pressure on the service games of my opponents. That's definitely something that's useful going towards the second week of the Grand Slam.

From back of the court, I have been playing pretty well, both forehand, backhand side. Very solid backhand, forehand today a lot of winners, not too many unforced errors. That's kind of a game style that I would like to maintain and kind of nurture for the second week.

Obviously I ended up this tournament last year with two fantastic performances against Pouille in the semis and Rafa in the finals. Those were some of the best performances I had ever in the Grand Slam semis and finals.

I love playing on the court. I like the conditions. I'm starting to feel very, very comfortable and compact on the court. I'm going to try to keep that going.

Q. You have been a firsthand witness of the relation between Nadal and Federer for the last decade or longer. Do you see any difference between the way the relation work back then and now?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, there is always a respect, I think, between the two of them. I think me included in the mix. There was always tremendous respect that we have for each other.

I think that their contrast of styles in the game and what they have managed to achieve is unbelievable, and it's historical. So obviously their rivalry was always very special because of the contrast of the styles of play and the way they are as personalities.

Their relationship, I mean, I don't know how close or not close they are really off the court. But one thing that I see from the side is that there always has been a mutual respect.

Of course at the beginning of their rivalry, the things seemed a little bit different than they are now. I think they both matured as players, as people. I think their relationship also, as well.

Q. You have been plant-based for four years. Talk about how that's helped you with your health and as an athlete to stay at the top of your game.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I'm very pleased to be plant-based and play on this level now for four-and-a-half years. There has been a lot of criticism also. You know, people around me didn't really think that I could do that. There is a lot of doubt and a lot of question marks.

I have been through different phases of kind of adapting to that new lifestyle, because it is a lifestyle more than just a diet. Because you have ethical reasons, as well, being conscious of what is happening in the animal world and, you know, the slaughtering of animals and farming and everything. There is obviously a huge impact also on climate change that maybe people don't talk about as much.

It's more of a performance reason for me. It's a lifestyle. It's approach. It's something that I'm really proud of, and hopefully that community grows even more.

Hopefully I can inspire other athletes that it is possible to be plant-based and to recover well, to have strength, to have muscles. I'm not a weight lifter, of course, but I do have an optimal balance between the strength and power and speed. And, you know, nothing seems to be missing, at least from my experience.

So I will keep on enjoying that.

Q. Today is a special day. Caroline Wozniacki ended her career. She, like yourself, grew up in a small country, became World No. 1, winning a Grand Slam. In your mind, what's her legacy?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, first of all, it's sad to see her leave, in a way, tennis, because she has been a great champion and she has been a friend of mine for many years.

You know, she used to spend a lot of time in Monaco where I reside with my family. So I have seen her a lot of times, also privately with my wife and been friends. She's a wonderful person and someone that has, you know, left a great legacy in this sport.

But, you know, as I can recall, she has struggled with her health in the last year, year and a half. And I hope that she will be healthy and happy in anything that she pursues after this. And she has a great husband. It seems like they are going towards having a family if they decide to have kids. I wish them all the best.

Hopefully we can see her more in tennis, because I'm sure that she'll tell you better and more. But, you know, once you're reaching this highest levels of tennis and sport, you can't really get away from the sport ever. I mean, you're always going to follow it and be part of it. And the sport needs her in different roles, obviously.

So I wish her all the best.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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