THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 3, 2022

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/T. Van Rijthoven

6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Novak, could you give us your initial thoughts on today's match.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I knew coming into the match that it was always going to be a tough, challenging matchup against Tim, who I've never faced before. I watched him play. He's got a really good game for grass, which he proved today. Was a very good fight, especially in the first two sets.

But overall I think I've played very well, very solid from back of the court. I got into his service rhythm, started reading his serve better in the third and fourth sets.

I just really am pleased with the way I closed out the match. I lost the rhythm on my serve a little bit towards the end of the match, but overall just a good fight and really challenging match for me on grass.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously it's been quite a late night. The centenary celebrations didn't start till late. Was it a little bit unnecessary for them to start at that time and push the schedule back?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, we know that Wimbledon has always been respecting its tradition. So the times when the matches start on Centre Court and Court 1 has not been changed for many years, but I hear there are some talks about maybe moving the beginning of the matches, the first matches on the big courts, especially Centre Court, a bit earlier.

I don't see a reason why there wouldn't be an earlier start, to be honest, particularly now that there are on-court interviews that we didn't have up to few years ago. Also the time between the matches, you almost certainly, if you're scheduled last on the Centre, you're going to end up a match under the roof, which changes the conditions, the style of play, the way you move on the court. It's more slippery. The lights.

It's really an indoor tournament in most of the cases when you're scheduled last on Centre or Court 1, for that matter, as we saw last night with Tsitsipas and Kyrgios ending up the match quite late as well, and Nadal as well.

Yeah, I mean, of course today it was a special occasion. I think it was necessary to celebrate the hundred years of Centre Court. For me it was an honor. I was very happy to be part of it. So, of course, it's one of those unique moments that you get to live as a tennis player, and I'll cherish it, of course.

But I think most of the players would probably agree that we would all want the start of the match on Centre Court pushed earlier.

Q. You said you heard they might be making start times earlier.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I heard there was some conversations. My coach has told me he has heard. I don't know. I don't know from whom he has heard. He's been close with Tim Henman and some people from the club. I don't know whether he has heard it from them. But he has told me there's some talks about eventually approaching this issue a bit differently.

Since there are some changes this year that we never thought we'll see in Wimbledon, why not move it for half an hour, one hour earlier? I think it would be quite helpful to finish matches maybe not using the roof.

Q. I wanted to ask you a question we've asked others, and that is very quickly in a kind of lightning round is go through the different strokes in tennis and talk to us what you think who has the strongest serve in the modern game, then very quickly through the different strokes, starting with serve.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Starting with the serve, it's logical that those guys who are two meters 10, two meters 11 centimeters, 6'10" in the States, Opelka, Isner probably have to win, and Karlovic. Those are the guys that serve from a fifth floor, and it's very difficult to return their serves. I mean, of course they have amazing technique, but the height helps a lot.

I always thought Kyrgios has, for someone who is not super tall, has one of the best serves definitely, one of the most fluid motions, very effective first and second serves.

Obviously in today's game, if you have a strong and effective and precise serve, and if you're able to move well to back it up, it puts a lot of pressure on your opponent's service games.

You want me to go through every shot?

Q. Yes.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Forehand, would have to put Federer and Nadal there. Different forehands, but of course huge weapons in their games.

Backhands, Murray. I don't want to put myself in any of that. I put Murray. And Sinner also.

Q. Return?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Return, yeah, I would have to put Murray again. Sinner, very good return. Who else?

Volleys, you got me here. Sorry, it's late. It's been a long day. Trying to think of someone. It has to be from today's players?

Q. No.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Overall, okay.

Agassi return and backhand for sure is up there, as well.

Pete Sampras for I think second serve, incredible second serve.

Movement, Bjorn Borg, amazing. Never got a chance to play him, but I've watched him and talked with a lot of people that played him. His movement was exceptional.

And Roger's movement also exceptional.

What am I missing? Pat Rafter and Stefan Edberg volleys.

Q. A lot of people said you, but you can't say you. Mental toughness.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I can, but I don't want to.

Q. Mental toughness and fighting spirit.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I mean, Federer, Nadal again.

Q. The other day the Internet went crazy with the videos and photos of your son playing tennis. Do you dream of himself becoming a true champion like you? The swing is pretty similar to Rafael Nadal.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, no. He likes to do that. He likes to intimidate me on the court with finishing the swing here. He knows I don't like that particularly. I'm trying to teach him to finish the hand here, the swing, over the shoulder.

He does that, but he does this as well. Whenever he does that he always laughs because he knows. We have this kind of funny moments on the court.

I try to use every available opportunity, possibility, time to play with him because he's right now fully immersed into tennis. Everything around tennis, how he can play, he's watching, he's analyzing. We're talking.

Last night when I was putting him to bed, he was asking me questions: What is the difference between the racquet head sizes, the strings, why somebody is stringing less tension, all these basic questions that kids are very curious about.

He's in love with tennis right now. It was fully his own desire to really pursue tennis. So of course I'm going to be there for him. I never force him to be on the tennis court, but if he wants, I try to always make myself ready to be there and play with him.

Of course I will support him in any possible way I can so that he can be professional tennis player if he intends to, if he really wants to. But it's too early to speak about it, to be honest. He's not even eight years old. It's important for me that we have a relationship as a father and son, first of all, primary, before anything else, and that he's enjoying life, that he's having fun.

He's trying different sports. Super important. I was growing up with skiing, football, tennis, martial arts, different things. I feel like it's very important to have, particularly at this young age, a lot of stimulus to the children from different perspectives and different sports and different movement, different activities.

I don't like children very early just doing only one sport. I feel like it's important to try different things because it will help the development of the brain and also motoric skills.

Q. Sinner next match. Were you surprised the way he played against Alcaraz, if you saw anything? What do you expect? What do you think about him?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Of course, I have only superlatives and positive things to talk about Sinner's game. We all know he's very talented. He's already now an established top player.

I've seen him play many different surfaces in the last few years. He's maturing a lot on the big stage. I think he doesn't feel too much pressure on the big stage because he can get you sometimes when you're younger.

He's very confident. He believes he can win against anybody, any stadium, which is important for a young player like him. He's already now experienced, even though he's still young, because he has had big matches, top-10 player.

I saw him play today. I thought it was a dominant performance from him in the first two sets. After that, it was a close one, it was a fight. But he was always somehow in control of the match.

He's very solid. Every shot, he has every shot in his game: serve, return, forehand, backhand. He's constantly putting pressure on opponents.

I kind of see a little bit of myself in his game, as well, from back of the court, playing flat backhand, constantly staying on the back of the line, trying to put pressure on opponents.

I know it going to be a very challenging match for both of us. He's playing fast. He likes that rhythm. We practiced here a couple of times. I know what's expecting me. I'll make sure I'm ready for that one.