THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 26, 2021

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How are you finding life in the Wimbledon bubble? Are you here with your team or do you have your family as well?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I've got my team, three people, with me. That's what we have been told that we are allowed to have, player plus three. They are the only ones with me.

As everyone else, I'm at the only official hotel. It's not ideal. Obviously you don't like being in a bubble. It's not the first, but hopefully one of the last bubbles we will have.

At least we have nice weather the couple of days that I spent time here in London. Got to go around the site obviously with a few days prior to the tournament. There are not too many people on-site, which allows you to walk around, breathe some fresh air.

So, yeah, I mean, once you start a tournament, obviously you won't be able to do that. The restriction of movement is not ideal, but it is what it is. It's the same for everyone, equal competitive field, so to say.

I've been feeling good. I've been hitting the ball well. Focusing on the championship and trying to make the most out of it.

Q. How has your perspective evolved on the meaning of 20 major titles?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I have 19 major titles, so I know what's the perspective with 19. With 20 I don't know. Hopefully I can find out in few weeks, but let's see.

Grand Slams are the biggest motivation I have right now at this stage of my career. I've been saying that before. I want to try to make the most out of Grand Slams as I possibly can. I'm trying to peak at the majors. I've been managing to do that throughout my career. I've had fortune to really play my best tennis when it mattered the most I think.

So, yeah, obviously nowadays I have to adjust my schedule a bit more with obviously the quality time with family that means a lot to me, reducing the number of tournaments, trying to adjust everything so that I could be at my top level on slams.

That's how my last year and a half looked like, and that's how probably the rest of my career will look like in terms of scheduling the tournaments.

The confidence run is there. The level of confidence is pretty high. Obviously winning the two majors this year, playing very well in Roland Garros. That tournament took a lot out of me I think mentally and physically and emotionally. It also granted me with an incredible amount of positive energy and confidence that created a wave that I'm trying to ride, so to say.

I did not allow myself, I cannot allow myself, to enjoy that victory too much because four days later after I won the title I was on the grass courts training. I didn't have too much time really to reflect on what has happened in Paris. That's how it is. That's the tennis season and tennis schedule. I turn the next page.

Hopefully I'll be able to do as well here in Wimbledon as I have in '18 and '19. I've been on the run on these courts. I love being here. It's the dream tournament. Has always been a dream tournament for me when I was a seven-year-old dreaming to win the Wimbledon. It always gives me goose bumps walking onto these courts and inspires me to play my best.

Q. There's a lot now that is sort of on the horizontal for you, possibilities in terms of the number 20 you were just speaking about. Further on, the idea of the Olympics, Golden Slam or a true Grand Slam. Something this sport hasn't seen in quite a while. With those sorts of things, what is the challenge or difficulty, maybe you don't find it difficult to focus in the moment, not worry about anything in the offing, in the horizon, not just now but focus on each match, each set, each game, point? How do you go about that?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I think you answered the question as well. The biggest challenge and the biggest task is always how to be present and how to stay in the moment regardless of the possibilities, the hypotheticals, and various options that are out there.

There is always something on the line I feel like for me, probably Roger and Rafa as well, when it comes to the tennis history in the last couple of years. We've been very successful, particularly in slams.

Of course, I understand that people love to debate who is the greatest, who is going to have the most titles, et cetera, et cetera. There's always a lot going on I think off the tennis court.

But once I'm on the court, I try to lock in and I try to exclude all the distractions. I feel like over the years I managed to develop the mechanism that allows me to do that. Everyone has their own special ways how to center themselves, how to focus themselves, really direct, so to say, the energy in what matters the most, which is the present moment.

I have my own techniques, my own ways. It has been working so far, so I'll try to keep on doing that. Here in Wimbledon particularly I need to just take it day by day and see how far it goes.

Q. How much, if anything, do you know about Jack Draper?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I honestly do not know too much about Draper. I've seen him play a little bit in Queen's where he beat Sinner. I actually practiced with Sinner yesterday so I asked him couple questions about Draper's game.

I know he's a lefty. I've seen him practice today a little bit. I have to do my homework, speak to more players, watch some of the videos of his most recent would probably be the best, most recent performances in Queen's on grass.

He's a home player. I'm sure there's going to be lot of support, a lot of people behind him. It's the first match on the Centre Court, new virgin grass. Obviously coming in as defending champion, it's always a very special feeling for me.

But it can be very dangerous, very tricky playing against a home favorite, someone that doesn't have much to lose, a guy who has beaten some really good players last week in Queen's. I'm taking him very seriously. Hopefully I'll be able to prepare myself for that match as best as possible and perform well.

Q. You've done this I think four times where you continue with the tradition of opening the Centre Court program on the first Monday of the tournament. Do you ever get blasé about it or is it incredibly special every time? What is that feeling like when you're walking out onto, as you just referred to it, virgin grass for that first match?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: There are many unique things about Wimbledon. One of them is obviously this tradition that defending champion is the first one that opens up the campaign on the Centre Court, on the untouched grass, Monday 1:00, 1:30 actually this time. You always know if you win at Wimbledon that next year you're going to be playing there Monday at 1:00.

Yeah, it does feel different from any other slam really. Walking onto the Centre Court at Wimbledon, no advertisement, no banners, everything is about tennis, all focus is on players and on the court. I just find that very fascinating considering we're living in very commercial, very material world today, that Wimbledon managed to preserve its culture, its tradition, which is phenomenal.