ROLAND GARROS

October 3, 2020

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/D.E. Galan

6-0, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I really admired your sweeping technique out there tonight. I was wondering, you have played so well with a smaller group of support staff these restarted tournaments. Might you consider making that permanent, or are you finding that you don't need all the people that you have had before?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Just because the people are not here doesn't mean they are not involved, so to say, my everyday life, professional life of course mostly, and we are in touch. You know, team members that are not here are very actively communicating and participating in my training sessions and watching matches and giving their input.

So they are part of the team, even though they are not physically here, but I did not honestly think about what you just told me. I felt like I did have lots of success with a lot of people with me on board, and also with very few. It just really depends.

I think we have to see how the end of the season will look like. Also the beginning of the next one, if we'll be able to take more team members with us. Right now it's very restricted. It's only two people allowed to travel with you, and, you know, the majority of the players is choosing to have a tennis coach and a physiotherapist.

So I'm hoping we can kind of increase that number so we could bring also family, because it's very important, I mean, especially for me. I have been on the tour more than 15 years, and I have two children and my wife, and I wish that they could come and spend some time with me here and there. Obviously right now that's not allowed, and that's not possible. It's been a while, you know, being away from them in States and also Rome and here.

Yeah, hopefully all will kind of go back to whatever normal we had or considered.

But I don't think it makes a significant difference for me if I don't have too many people or I have many people. I feel like it's important for me to have my tennis coach and my physiotherapist. That's probably a must on every tournament. Then after that obviously everything is a bonus.

Q. With the amount of sort of unusual faces that we have had in the tournament still now into the fourth round, the wildcards, qualifiers, et cetera, is there sort of a heightened awareness of that on your part and maybe a concerted effort to sap any sense of hope from an opponent when you go into a match like this one today?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, there is always, of course, I have always respected every single player that I get to practice with or I get to play against.

You know, I understand the effort and the amount of work and dedication that's needed in order to reach a Grand Slam and to win few rounds, to be here competing with the best players in the world. So that's always worthy of respect.

Yes, there is, you know, heightened awareness or caution when you play someone for the first time, because obviously they can come out firing and really have nothing to lose and just play the tennis of their lives.

But I think also, on the other side, I think if you impose yourself from the very beginning on the court, which I have in those first three matches here, then it makes it hard for them to really believe that they can come back and make a turnaround in the match.

But it's really nice I think overall for tennis to see new faces, young players, Korda, obviously his father was a champion, and him coming in and reaching the fourth round is a great story.

You know, I feel like of course you need brands. You want some familiar faces to be out there, because that attracts the crowd and interests of people to watch tennis. But at the same time it's nice that when you have young players coming in, making a statement in one of biggest tournaments in the world, I think it's also very positive for our sport.

Q. There has been quite a few close calls with line officials making a bad call and Hawk-Eye on TV showing it different. Yet the French Open also put out a statement in response to some of the criticism from even top players that they intend to keep the situation pretty much as it is with the full complement of line judges. How do you feel about the issues? Is there anything the players can do should they really feel as a group that they need to change it?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: With all my respect for the tradition and the culture we have in this sport, when it comes to people present on the court during a match, including line umpires, I really don't see a reason why every single tournament in this world, in this technological advanced era, would not have what we had during Cincinnati/New York tournament.

The technology is so advanced right now, there is absolutely no reason why you should keep line umpires on the court. That's my opinion. Of course I understand technology is expensive, so it's an economical issue and a question mark. But I feel like we are all moving towards that, and sooner or later there is no reason to keep line umpire.

Yes, ball kids, of course, ball person, yes, but line umpires, I don't see why anymore, to be honest. Maybe you can tell me if there is any significant reason why we should keep other than tradition that we had and have in this sport.

Then I would also probably then have less chances to do what I did in New York (smiling).

Q. Were you surprised the roof wasn't shut earlier than the fourth game of the second set? Given the forecast is not very good this week, would you advocate the roof being closed throughout the Philippe Chatrier court?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I did speak with supervisor prior to the match, and that was one of my questions was after seeing the way the sky looks like and having a first kind of drop of rain as we were walking onto the court, I was asking, why do we not close it beginning and just play out the entire match? Because I saw the forecast. Obviously everyone uses different apps and websites for the weather forecast, but it didn't look good at all.

And when it started, you know, the chair umpire and supervisor thought that it was playable and I understand if you don't have the roof, but I mean, this is exactly the reason why you build the roof so why not use it? Particularly in these kind of conditions when, you know, the roof is useful.

So that's why I thought we lost quite a bit of time actually that affected our match or maybe the match after. Right now you have Muguruza playing. So, you know, you just lose a lot of time while the roof is closed or one side of the court is wet and you need to wait until it's able for us to continue play.

So I did feel like it was a wrong decision in my opinion not to close the roof right away.