THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 30, 2021

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/K. Anderson

6-3, 6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. When you came here in 2016, having won the first two slams of the year, and you lost that year, has that kind of been in your mind? Does that explain the way you look so focused, the way you've started the tournament?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it might be the case, yeah. I was mentioning in the press conference prior to the tournament that I'm going to try to learn from that experience that I had in 2016, winning the first two slams of the year, coming in here in Wimbledon, actually feeling great, playing great, but then I lost the third round against of course a great opponent, Sam Querrey, who was a better player that day.

I felt a little bit different, maybe a little bit deflated. I don't want to say demotivated because playing Wimbledon is always a dream for any player, including myself.

I just felt slightly different than I felt before. It was the first time I experienced that kind of situation and circumstances. So this time I'm probably, I would like to think, a bit wiser and a bit more experienced as a player and person.

Yeah, it helps. But now I'm in the third round. Again, it only has been two matches into the tournament. Still a long way to go. Hopefully I can go very deep in the tournament. That's the goal.

But I'm very pleased with the way I've been playing so far.

Q. (No microphone.)

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I'm sorry, but you will have to repeat your question. It was interrupted many times. I'm sorry. If you could speak slightly slower so I can hear you.

Q. You made a joke at the end of the match about having a good connection with the grass. You spoke after your last match that you found it a little bit slippery. Did you find it as difficult this time? If so, how did you feel it affected your game?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, yeah, definitely had a very close contact with the grass in the first match and also in the second one. A few falls, maybe more than I would like.

But I don't think it's about courts. Obviously it was raining for few days. Maybe first match under roof, the humidity affects the moist, the kind of surface of the grass, and it becomes a bit more slippery than in normal circumstances.

But I think the fact that I didn't play on grass courts for two years, the fact that I'm coming from several months of clay court that is a surface completely different in terms of movement and bounce and everything to the grass, the surface in which you slide at all times, I think I'm still adjusting my movement, adapting myself to this surface. It's been, as I said, only two matches.

Hopefully as the tournament progresses I'll also fall less, even though I don't mind falling more if the result is winning a match (smiling).

Q. You played very cleanly today, very few unforced errors at all. On a day like that, is there something early in the match, even during a warmup or once play begins, that lets you know, I'm on today, this is going to go well? Is there a certain shot or a feeling that you get that lets you know this could be a very clean, good day for you?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, sometimes. Sometimes it's just one element, whether it's on the court, in the warmup prior to the match, you have just good feeling, you feel like you're striking the ball cleanly.

But sometimes it's more than few things. Obviously I was, and I'm striking the ball really well in general. Obviously I'm in a high level of confidence after winning French. But I was nervous coming into this match because I was playing a very good player, experienced player, whom I faced in final three years ago. He's a big server. He's very dangerous opponent, especially in the early rounds.

But I've done things on and off the court to make myself feel that I'm focused, yet at the same time calm and composed and clear with my game plan and what I want to do. Obviously did my homework, talked with my coach, worked well on the practice court.

I think it's a combination of all these factors that make you feel confident on the court and to execute the shots that you want.

Q. A follow-up on the question about slipping. Yesterday with Mannarino and Serena, did that at all make you at all nervous or even more cautious about moving on this surface?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I'm not cautious of moving on this surface too much, to be honest. My movement is a lot of sliding, and I also slide on grass. Of course I have to adapt my movement to this surface.

I was not thinking, I didn't have Serena's retirement and Mannarino's retirement in my head, to be honest, today, even though that's very sad to see. I can't speak on behalf of the other players, whether they feel the courts are maybe a bit more slippery than maybe previous years.

For me, I think it's my movement that is probably a bit more aggressive and dynamic first steps, change of directions, that I've carried on from the clay court season to grass. As I said, the more matches you play, because practice session and practice sets and official match is completely different, with nerves and everything.

Of course, you're going to tend to fall slightly more in official matches. That's all really.

Q. Extraordinarily high level with just six unforced errors. The next two or three years with Roger and Rafa picking and choosing which majors they compete in, are you and your team perhaps looking at the next two to three years to dominate as you never have before? Is that in your thinking at all?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I look to peak at the biggest tournaments in our sport. I've said it before: at this stage of my career, Grand Slams are the ones that matter the most. Of course, 1000 events on the ATP Tour, I try to maintain the high position on the rankings. Since I have reached the historic No. 1, for me now the priority is playing well in slams and Olympic Games obviously this year, being Olympic year.

In terms of dominating, it's very relative what 'domination' means for me. It's probably something else for someone else. I don't play as many tournaments as I've played in the past years. I have different priorities, different focus and goals.

That's all I can say about the way I've been feeling right now and what I'm aiming for in professional tennis.

Can we do two more English questions? Is that okay? Quick questions. C'mon, guys. Let's go. Ubaldo and Willie.

THE MODERATOR: Very quick, because we have limited time that we're allowed to stay in the room.

Q. Among many weaknesses of Novak, I would like to know if Djokovic-Medvedev for the bookies is the most easy final to predict, Djokovic-Federer the second, Djokovic-Berrettini the third.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Ubaldo, your predictions are second to none. I will allow you to predict the finals as long as there is me in that finals (smiling). That's where I'm going to leave it.

Q. There's a lot of talk about history, about majors, about age. How do you see the passage of time affecting you both positively and negatively?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You know what they say, age is just a number. That's really how I see it, the approach that I'm having. I don't really think about how many years I have been on the tour. It's all about perception. I really believe that a lot of things health-wise or just in general about life starts from your mind, mind over matter type of thing.

I really am positive about life and about taking care about my own health and well-being of myself and my close ones. You can't be at your best every day, of course, but I tend to live a healthy lifestyle that allows me to recover faster, to be performing well for many years. That has been the case.

But as I grow older, so to say, as the life progresses, I feel like I'm also learning new things about myself on and off the court, and I'm trying to implement different elements in my game and also in my lifestyle that help me to have longevity because I want to keep on going. I don't have any end in mind in terms of how many more years I want to play. As long as I feel that desire, as long as I'm fit, I'll keep on going.