THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2021

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/D. Kudla

6-4, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Quite a test in the end. The crowd were getting behind your opponent because he's the qualifier, the underdog against the best player in the world. In the end you reminded us of the journey you've had to get where you are. In some ways do you think you're the ultimate underdog to be here today from where you've come as a child?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, depends how you see it. I don't consider myself an underdog. I just had a journey that is probably different from most of the other players that are on the tour and upbringing.

I'm not complaining about it. Actually I'm not regretting anything. I am grateful that I've been through that journey because that helped me to become a man and a player that I am today. It allowed me to learn things about myself and how to have a strong character, how to fight, how to never give up in very difficult circumstances when I face adversity on the court to come out as a winner.

It doesn't always happen, of course. That's life. But I feel that has greatly influenced my development as a player and who I am today.

Kudla fought well. He played well I thought from the beginning. Until the last game of the first set I thought we were pretty even. I won I think four games in a row, something like that, started playing better. I mixed it up.

I had to slow down the pace in the game because he was really handling well the ball, the flat ball, from the back of the court. He has a really good balance. I think his backhand and forehand as well, pretty flat. He moves around pretty well on the surface, grass court surface. He's a really good player.

I myself from the other side, I can't say that I'm too pleased with the way I performed. I felt like today I was a bit off, especially with serving. Usually serve worked really well in the first two matches, and generally my serve is a weapon. It wasn't today.

Obviously in some parts of the match it was good, but generally it wasn't that great of a rhythm that I had with that part of my game. But it is what it is. I don't want to talk about negatives. I just won in straight sets.

Honestly, I think I can play better. I hopefully will do in the next round.

Q. There was a point near the end of the second set where you celebrated quite aggressively. You shouted, you roared. Did you feel like the crowd was sort of getting on your back at that point, that you weren't getting the respect from the crowd that you deserved?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No. Look, you know, in the heat of the battle those things happen. You release the emotions, the stress, the pressure that you feel on the court. Yeah, sometimes you're maybe looking for a little bit of support or sometimes you're just wanting to let it go. That's what happened for me.

Q. I want to ask you about Garin. Verbal abuse has been a topic out there since the advent of social media. Cristian withdrew from the Olympics last week. He and his girlfriend received tons of abuse, some of them borderline sick. That has been a common theme when players lose. Since you have been a leader in the tennis locker room for a while now, what is your opinion on Cristian's situation? Have you thought of making a stance against abuse with some other players?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I'm not really familiar with Cristian's situation too much. It's the first time I hear that he's going through that. I'm really sorry that he's going through that because that's not fair. He shouldn't be accused and abused in such way.

That's the era of Internet, you know, and social media. People have a platform through which they can express themselves in a good and, unfortunately, in a very bad way. It's a serious issue we are having not just in sports but just in general.

A lot of people are being abused. A lot of teenagers nowadays, boys and girls that are underage that have phones very early in their lives, they go through a lot of depression because of the abusements, the comments, the things they encounter on an everyday basis on the Internet and social media.

It's a serious subject that everyone needs to address and be involved in and try to create more protective environment. But it's difficult. It's free. It's out there, so anybody can really open an account, profile on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, whatever, and start abusing, trolling somebody that they don't like.

It's really hard to protect yourself fully from that unless you just switch off and you're not present. So I feel like we all have to stand with each other but at the same time I of course publicly accuse and I'm against the abusement of course.

On the other hand I feel like, not just for Cristian, but for anybody going through that, you need to address that psychologically with yourself, with your close ones, with your family in a very serious way because it affects the mental state especially of the younger people, teenagers. They go through a lot of depression. I know it happens in my country. It happens everywhere. So it's a global issue.

Q. The entry list for the players for the Tokyo Olympics was announced yesterday. Your Japanese fans are looking forward to seeing you in Tokyo. How excited are you coming back to Tokyo to play Olympics and how motivated are you to get the Golden Slam?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I'm very motivated to play Olympic Games and to fight for a medal. I have a highest aspirations and ambitions going into Tokyo Olympics. Olympic Games happen every four years. It is the biggest sports event in the history of sport.

Obviously representing the country for me is the highest of honor and a privilege. I always try to be there for Serbia and Serbian tennis.

Olympic Games next to Grand Slams this year are my highest goals. I've said that in the beginning of the season. Hopefully I'll be able to have a great tournament here at Wimbledon, go all the way. I wish, that's the desire, that's what I'm aiming at. After that, there's not much time.

I know my abilities to recover mentally, physically, to get ready for the next big tournaments. I've done it before. So hopefully I can do it again.