THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 29, 2022

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/T. Kokkinakis

6-1, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Give us your thoughts on the match today.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, good afternoon.

I think the quality of tennis was really high from my side. Much better than the first match performance. I knew that I had to start off well today because I was facing a really tricky opponent, someone that serves well, has big serve, big forehand. I didn't want to give him too much time.

I played with not too many unforced errors from back of the court. Whenever I needed to put the return in, I did. So all in all just a really, really satisfying performance.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. We had the news this morning that Andy is going to play the Laver Cup this September in London at the O2 arena. You haven't played the event since your debut in 2018. Given the fact that your three historically biggest rivals, Rafa, Roger and Andy, are all set to play, would you consider joining them to make a full set? How unique would it be to have all four of you playing that event on the same team?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It would be very unique. It is a possibility. My agent has communication with the Laver Cup team. We have an agreement that there will be a decision after Wimbledon is finished.

Q. If you did play, how would it feel to play at that venue specifically, the O2, considering your second-most recent match with Murray was in the ATP Finals in 2016?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Laver Cup is the only competition where you can have all the big rivals, the big three, big four players joining in the same team.

Of course, it is very different and exciting concept for us players, but also for the fans around the world. So, of course, the O2 Arena is familiar venue for me and for us players. We've been playing more than 10 years the World Tour Finals in that arena. It stayed there for a long time, with a reason, because it was such a successful event. Full stands every match, singles, doubles.

I think the tradition here in Britain for tennis has contributed to a very successful event over the course of more than 10 years. So, of course, it would be a pleasure to play there again.

I think that regardless if I play or not, it's going to be a stunning event with full stands, no doubt.

Q. I wanted to ask you about changeovers. Do you find that time valuable to you? How do you tend to spend that time, other than things like refueling, maybe resting? Depending on the nature of the match I imagine it changes. How much of it is about strategy that day or how much of it is about other things in your mind during that time?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I guess we're all different. I mean, I can speak for myself.

I try to use that very short time to obviously hydrate myself, clean up my sweat (smiling), but also do some conscious breathing, recentering, so to say, techniques that I have that have helped me throughout my career.

Sometimes you actually don't have a minute because they start the shot clock as soon as the last point of the previous game is done. By the time you walked eventually to get a towel, to get the bench, it's already 20, 30 seconds passed.

Very, very short time with these new rules with the shot clock. I don't like it, to be honest, so much because I feel like it's too much pressure on time. I understand that certain players, I mean, maybe including myself in the past, have taken too much time, maybe ball bouncing. I know people mind that with me, and I get that. I think we went a bit too far with speeding up the whole process.

Whenever you talk to chair umpires, they obviously say it's the rules. I think at Roland Garros, I don't know if it's here, but I remember in Roland Garros the system was automatic. So it just starts counting down the time, the clock, as soon as the last shot was made in the previous game.

Sometimes when you're playing physical battles, you feel like you need that minute sitting, but you actually don't have the minute sitting.

Look, everyone uses that time differently. I think it really depends on the time of the match. Of course, the earlier in the match, the fresher you are, so you don't feel like you need much time to spend on the bench.

Then of course playing on grass and clay is completely different. Less grueling rallies on grass than you have on clay. So of course that affects the heartbeat and that affects also whether you feel you need more oxygen and more time to recuperate.

Q. You spoke at Roland Garros about you're going to reach out to Boris Becker. I wondered what you've been able to do in that regard with him? Also his girlfriend and Noah were in your box. How important was it to make that gesture to them and through them to him?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I haven't been communicating directly to him, but I've been communicating to him through them. I was really glad to have hosted his girlfriend and his son, Noah, to my first round and now today second-round match.

Noah and his younger brother Elias are going to visit Boris I think in the next few days for the first time since he went to prison. I've just been trying to give support to people around him, his closest people, his family members, because I consider Boris really a family member, someone that I greatly appreciate, respect, and care about.

We've been through a lot together during those three years of collaboration. Our relationship dates back even before that. Of course, after we finished our professional relationship, we always stayed close, him with my team, with my agents, with my family.

Of course, it breaks my heart to see what's happening to him. I can only imagine how hard it is for his family members. So, of course, this is a little gesture of friendship to invite them.

He knows and they know that they can always count on me for whatever support or help I can provide.

Q. In today's match where you had an opponent with 'Australia' next to his name, whether that affected your intensity of play today. You have suggested how uncomfortable you are on the court after what happened in Australia. How are you feeling now on the court?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: My intensity was basically like any other match really. I just tried to execute the tactics and game plan and do what I can to win the match.

I did not have any extra intensity or desire to win this match just because Thanasi is Australian. Actually in contrary, I really have a good relationship with Thanasi. He's a great guy. We get along off the court very well.

Of course, on the court we want to win against each other. But I felt there was a lot of respect today between the two players. That's what matters the most, of course. One of us gets the win. But there's always I think a necessity to show respect for the game and each other.

I hope I answered your question. But I don't have any grudge over anybody really coming from Australia.