THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 1, 2022

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/M. Kecmanovic

6-0, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Novak, give us your thoughts on your performance today.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, again, a very good start as in my previous match. I know Kecmanovic's game pretty well. We train a lot. We never faced each other on grass. Obviously it's not his preferred surface for his game. I had the right game plan. I knew what I needed to do.

Obviously it helps a lot if you start off the match very well. The way I played first set was great. Maintained that level pretty much throughout the entire match. Just overall very pleased.

Q. I'd like to ask you about the COVID situation. Nadal is looking after everything more, just staying at home, not going out too much. What are you doing? Wearing mask? How are you dealing with the situation right now to avoid a positive?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I'm mostly at the tennis facility and at home with my family. I don't also go out much. Although I did visit the city few times before the tournament started, but I'm not, so to say, overconcerned about anything. I'm just trying to stay healthy, stay focused, and play the tournament.

I'm not thinking about whether or not I'm going to catch COVID. Right now I'm not thinking about it. But, of course, being cautious is something that is a necessity I think for everyone, and particularly because we have been through what we've been through in the last two years.

Q. I'd like to get your thoughts on the interesting decision by the ATP to allow some off-court coaching coming up in the second half of the season.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I'm kind of divided there in my opinion because I understand the arguments from both sides. There are obviously people that feel like the uniqueness of our sport is that an individual athlete needs to find solutions on the court by himself without getting coached during a match, which I absolutely understand. That's the way it has been for many years.

But at the same time we all know that most of the times, most of the matches, coaching happens. To kind of officialize the coaching is something I also understand. Probably lean more towards that because anyway it's happening, so why not just make it a rule or officialize the possibility. Of course, with certain conditions, under certain conditions that you have to coach a player only if he's on your side of the court so you don't pose the hindrance to other player.

I don't know how that's going to work. Obviously we have seen with women's tennis in previous years on-court coaching. That's a bit different than what we are going to do now.

It was interesting for TV viewers and for all of us to listen to those conversations happening between the coach and a player. Of course, from that perspective, someone watching as a fan, it's quite interesting and entertaining. At the same time not that great for discretion or privacy of that conversation.

Of course, somebody can hear what you're talking about on the TV, and then that somebody can send messages to opposing coach and coaching team. Of course, that's a bit tricky.

I do feel like certain professional information that is exchanged should probably stay private between a coach and a player.

I guess we'll wait and see where that balance is because it's going to be introduced for the first time in our sport on the men's side. So let's see how it goes.

Q. What are your thoughts on the run of Tim van Rijthoven, your next opponent?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, I've watched him play here couple of matches and also in Netherlands where he won his ATP tournament. Of course, he's one of the talks of the tournament here.

Generally on the grass court season he still hasn't lost a match. It's quite impressive for somebody that hasn't been ranked that high, hasn't won an ATP match before that 's-Hertogenbosch tournament. It's quite impressive the way he has won. Also against Medvedev in the finals quite comfortably.

I know his coach, Igor Sijsling, his mom is from Serbia. I've known him for a very long time. Same generation. We grew up playing in junior events. We had a chat the other day. I don't know him that well.

As I said, I've watched him play last few weeks. I'll do my analysis of him, and hopefully I can kind of start off the way I did in last few matches.

Q. Is it at all nerve-wracking to play someone who you have never played before, an unknown entity? You had no problem with Karatsev last year in a similar situation. What kind of challenges does that bring?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Again, there is a challenge when you're facing someone for the first time, that someone obviously has not much to lose. You don't know his game so you have to kind of adapt, adjust. So you have to do your homework, analyze his matches previously, try to gather as much useful information so you can prepare yourself tactically well for the match.

Q. Can you think back to when maybe you would have been in his shoes, not that you ever were quite in his situation, but the idea of being a sort of young, new, inexperienced guy, going up against somebody who has a lot of accomplishments already, maybe somebody you had watched on TV. Can you remember ever being in that position as the younger underdog guy, what that felt like?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, we all have been in that position. Everyone has to go through different stages of their career. Of course there's always a first time playing on Centre Court of a Grand Slam, Wimbledon in this case for him. If we get to play Centre Court or Court 1, depends on the scheduling.

For him, again, facing me for the first time... He hasn't felt that much pressure I guess in his encounter against Medvedev in the finals, his first finals against Medvedev who is at that point No. 2 in the world, beat him really comfortably. It seems like he's very confident player. He handles the big stage pretty well, it seems like. Of course, Grand Slam is different. It's played best-of-five.

His game, from what I've seen, is quite suitable to this surface. His big serve, one-handed backhand, uses the slice well. He's an all-around player. He can play fast, he can also stay in the rally and come to the net.

I'm sure he's excited to play on a big stage. He doesn't have much to lose. He's on his dream run. He's a young player that is just starting so I'm sure his career will be very good.

Q. You're playing Sunday I believe. It's the first time of play on a Sunday. Do you have any thoughts on that? In tournaments of old you probably would have an extra day's rest till Monday. Do you have any thoughts about that?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: All the other Grand Slams are playing in mid Sunday. I'm glad that Wimbledon has introduced that, as well. I'm in favor of that rule change.

Quite surprising this year with couple of changes in the tradition that we know Wimbledon is very close to. Even though I had the honor to practice on the Centre Court before the tournament started, I'm not really in favor of that rule change, so to say. I never thought that anybody will have ever an opportunity to practice on the Centre Court before the defending champion walks out on Monday.

But I like the middle Sunday play.

Q. Wimbledon was different to the rest. Now it's the same. A lot of people like Wimbledon because of its differences.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's not the same. I mean, we all wear white still. I don't think that's ever going to change. Maybe. We don't know. Things are changing, which is good that the tournament and the club is open to certain changes and I guess adjustments, depending on the needs of players or fans or the time, the society that is following.

But I still respect and love Wimbledon for keeping its tradition of all white. Also no advertisement on the Centre Court. I think that's something that in today's world is really rare.

I mean, after surprising changes this year, you don't know. Anything can change in the future. But we all know for sure that Wimbledon sticks to its tradition and very carefully looks at any changes if they make any.