THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 10, 2022

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/N. Kyrgios

4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Novak, tell us how you're feeling. Wimbledon champion again.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I mean, obviously over the moon with joy and happiness of experiencing this moment once again. I've said it many times, this tournament is extra special for me because it has been the first tournament that I've ever watched as a kid that got me to start playing tennis.

I don't take any wins for granted, and particularly not in Wimbledon. In contrary, actually every time feels a bit different, special in its own way. Of course, having family and close people in my life here to share this victory with them, it was beautiful.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Did you notice people chanting your name on match point, Nole, Nole? In the past, you've been the underdog. Felt there was love for you today. How did that rank among your seven victories?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I did definitely feel support and feel love from the crowd today, so I'm very grateful for that.

Obviously it's not secret that any player would like to have people backing him during the match because in the end of the day this could make a quite big difference with how you feel mentally. Definitely easier to overcome certain obstacles and situations in the match when you have people supporting you and being there for you.

The second question was?

Q. Where does it rank? John McEnroe said the last three sets he hadn't seen you play better.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I think from the baseline I didn't miss much in those three sets. It was part of the strategy obviously playing somebody who is so talented and flashy as Nick, who has one of the best, if not the best, serve that we have in the game. Just so difficult to read his serve. I mean, first and second.

He puts constant pressure on his opponents when he's cruising through his service games. That's actually what was happening. Return was serving me quite well throughout my career. But, yeah, it was frustrating at times today, just seeing balls pass by, having to deal with I guess more work on my service games because he was constantly on the line putting pressure.

But I felt the ball really well from back of the court. I thought I served well at the moments. I think I could have served better, particularly second serves.

But again, it's the Wimbledon finals against a player that was never there, has nothing really to lose. We all know what he's capable of. Plus I lost to him twice when we played against each other.

All these things were kind of there present. But I think in the end of the day I managed everything pretty well.

Q. There were two what seemed to be from outside very key moments: one you serving at the end of the second set Love-40, then early in the third 40-Love on his serve. You came back to break him.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes.

Q. Did those feel big to you in the moment? Nick was praising you. He said more than the way you played, he praised your composure, and said it's impossible to rattle you. Do you feel that way when you're on the court? How did you develop that?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You were right about the two key moments. I felt slight difference in those two moments when I was Love-40, serving for the set. I felt more pressure than when I was 40-Love down, 4-All in the third, he was cruising through his game.

I obviously wanted to play every point regardless of being 40-Love down. Just wanted to practice trying to get his serves back, eventually wait for the opportunity. It was presented actually. He played maybe a couple of loose points, double-fault, deuce, started talking to his box. I felt maybe that's the moment where I could break his serve, which happened.

It was a huge momentum shift I think because up to that point we were quite even. Two sets to one up, obviously things are looking slightly different. I felt maybe in the fourth he was not moving from back of the court as good as he was doing that in the first two to three sets.

In that instance, it helps to swing through the ball a bit more because I know that I can have him on his back foot from back of the court.

Then, of course, was a gamble really on his service games in the fourth. At times I was quite close, but then he gets out of trouble with aces. When you have a serve like this, it's a huge advantage.

But again, I felt in the tiebreak when it mattered, I managed to read his serve couple of times. Crucial 2-1 up for me, 3-1 up for me. Blocked his serve back in play. Made him play an extra shot, and he missed.

I'm obviously thankful to him for praising my composure. I knew that that probably was one of the key elements today in order to win against him. Not that he's not composed, but he has never played in a Wimbledon finals. We know that also he kind of has his ups and downs in the match. My experience of playing in this kind of occasion before could eventually decide or could help to my own advantage and favor.

That's what happened really. That 40-Love game, he'll probably be very upset with himself for losing that game. I didn't win it; he lost that game with his unforced errors. I just stayed there and pushed him to the limit, and I got the reward.

Q. How do you manage to go from Australia in January to producing a performance like this? Is the achievement more emotional because of this? Are you more determined than ever now to keep in the game until you achieve the record?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I mean, certainly this year has not been the same like last years. It has started the way it has started and it has affected me definitely in the first several months of the year. I was not feeling great generally. I mean, mentally, emotionally, I was not at a good place.

I wanted to play, but at the same time when I went out on the court in Dubai, was the first tournament of the year, I just felt so much pressure and emotions happening. I wasn't feeling myself on the court.

I realized at that point that it's going to take some time, that I have to be patient, and sooner or later I will get myself in the state, optimal state, where I would like to be.

Wimbledon historically has always come at such an important stages of my life and my career. When I say Wimbledon as a tournament, but me winning Wimbledon. Few times, I think it was in 2018 when I was starting the year with elbow surgery, trying to work my way back in the rankings, not playing well. This was the first slam that I won that served as a springboard for later US Open win, 2019 Australian Open.

It's not a coincidence that this place has such relevance in my life and career. It's a relief, as well, considering what I've been through of course this year. It adds more value and more significance and more emotions, of course.

I don't feel I'm in rush really anywhere to end my career in a year time or two year time or whatever it is. Just I'm not thinking about it. I want to keep my body healthy 'cause that's obviously necessary in order to keep going at this level. Of course, keep myself mentally sane and motivated to compete with the young guns.

Q. You just said that you were not in a good place after Australia. Can you tell us exactly what you were feeling and why you didn't feel up to tennis or up to competing at the level that you want to. If you can also tell us exactly how you felt coming here, because this has been a very good tournament for you, a very good place for you. Did you feel already that things had already turned around for you?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I mean, not to go into too much detail. Everything that has followed Australia, particularly on the tournaments, has been a huge challenge and obstacle for me to overcome emotionally. Once I left Australia, I left that behind me. I was ready to move on.

Then it wasn't that easy to close that chapter because then I had the media and all of you guys reminding me of that. Of course many people as well traveling around the world, some unpleasant situations as well that keep on repeating the same movie that I kind of was part of unfortunately in Australia. That has caused turbulence inside of me. I just needed time to weather the storm.

At one point I realized it's just going to take time, and that's it, time for me to regroup, to get into optimal balanced state on the court, off the court.

The game was there. I know what my qualities are, what my tennis is. It's just all these things off the court that were just causing so much distraction and pressure that I had to deal with, not just myself but people around me. It has been affecting them a lot more probably than me because they've been protecting me. Again, I can feel it through them, right?

It's not one of these things you can switch off and basically pretend that it's not happening.

Yeah, coming into Wimbledon, yeah, I felt good for my tennis because I've won three titles in a row here prior to this year. I always liked playing on grass. I felt like each year I've been improving my tennis on grass.

I came off from Paris from a tough and also emotional loss against Nadal that obviously was disappointing. But Rome, Paris, I was already playing the tennis that I want to play, that puts me in a position to compete for the greatest titles.

I liked my chance coming into Wimbledon. As I always am, I'm very inspired to play my best tennis in London.

Q. I'm curious how you size up the rest of your year? Goran was in here earlier. He said starting tomorrow I'm on vacation. Are you on vacation tomorrow? I think your ranking goes down to 7 because of the situation. Do you intend to fight in the fall to get to the Tour Finals? It's a weird situation.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It is. I am on vacation. Whether or not I'm playing any tournament soon, I'll definitely be resting for the next couple weeks because it has been quite an exhausting and demanding period for me the last few months. A lot of tennis, which I was very happy about. I got what I wanted here.

Then I'll wait hopefully for some good news from USA because I would really love to go there. That would be probably the next big tournament, the next big swing, playing a tournament or two before US Open and US Open.

If that doesn't happen, then I have to see what the schedule will look like. To be honest, I doubt that I'll go and chase points. As I understand from my agent today, winning Grand Slam would qualify you for World Tour Finals unless you're out of top 20, which I don't know. With accumulated points so far, I guess I'll make top 20.

Yeah, I guess I have a good chance to be already in the Finals. I will not burden myself to really have to go and play tournaments and get points.

I'll see. I don't really feel any pressure or necessity to play a certain schedule. And things have changed in the last year, year and a half for me. I achieved that historic No. 1, weeks for No. 1, that I worked for all my life. Now that that's done and dusted, I prioritize slams and big tournaments really and where I want to play, where I feel good.

We still have not spoken about the schedule, Goran and I. We have to sit down and see what the news are from States and whether that's happening or not happening, then take it from there.

Could be Laver Cup, Davis Cup is coming as well. I love playing for my country. Going to try to be part of that. Next thing you know the season is over, right? Those are the big, let's say, tournaments that I have right now in my mind.

Q. Jelena Jankovic was in your box.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I was surprised to see her playing here at the legends doubles. I didn't expect that because we've been in touch last few years, and I know her giving birth to her child about a year ago was something that she was preoccupied with, of course, and she was not playing so much tennis even before that. She hasn't been playing a lot last three, four years.

I was like, Okay, you came to Wimbledon?

She said, Everything hurts, but she enjoyed it. Obviously she was here, so I invited her to come and watch the match. She was nice to come with her husband, so it was nice.

Obviously she's a true sporting and tennis legend in our country, former No. 1 of the world. She hasn't been around the tennis ecosystem much, so it's nice to have her back.

Q. How would you compare the comfort and the confidence that you're feeling here and now with the feeling you've had at any major at any time in your career?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I mean, Australia probably is the place where I feel most comfortable because of my record there, winning title many times. That's the court where I would probably like to play, if I have to pick one match or one court, it would be there. Wimbledon is kind of close to that considering the success I had, particularly in the last seven, eight years. I mean, I've been winning a lot of matches on the Centre Court. I think I've not lost since 2013 on Centre Court.

Again, even though in Australia I had so much success, this Centre Court and this tournament still has the most special place in my heart because it has always been my childhood dream tournament. Of course, every time I step out on the court it is a feeling unlike anything else.

The more you win, it's logical the more confident, the more comfortable you feel out there every next time you step out on the court.

So the run keeps going. I feel very connected with this court and with this tournament without a doubt.

Q. Can you tell us now what is your magic potion that you were talking about?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I said you will find out soon, but not so soon (laughter). It's going to come out as one of the supplement, let's say, lines that I'm doing right now with drink and few other things, sports drinks, et cetera. It will come out there.

You'll try it and you'll let me know how it feels. You might win Wimbledon (smiling).

Q. Which good news are you waiting from US Open? Exemption or...

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I mean, I'm not vaccinated and I'm not planning to get vaccinated so the only good news I can have is them removing the mandated green vaccine card or whatever you call it to enter United States or exemption.

I don't know. I don't think exemption is realistically possible. If that is possibility, I don't know what exemption would be about. I don't know. I don't have much answers there.

I think it's just whether or not they remove this in time for me to get to USA.