AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 25, 2023

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/A. Rublev

6-1, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Well done, Novak. Another impressive performance. Through to your 10th Australian Open semifinal, against someone you have never played before, Tommy Paul. Can you say a few words about him.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I know how he plays. I never faced him on the court. He's been around for a few years. I watched him play quite a bit, especially during this tournament. He's been playing probably tennis of his life.

Very explosive, very dynamic player. Quick, very solid backhand. Likes to step in, dictate the point with the forehand. Great, great service motion. I think he can hit all the spots with the serve. Very complete player. He's got the coach that has been around with some top players for many years.

First semifinals for him, so of course he doesn't have much to lose. I'm sure he's going to go out trying to play his best tennis.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously it's been well-documented about the injury since Adelaide. Is this as confident as you've felt at an Australian Open given everything that's going on and how emphatic you have been in your past two matches?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I can't really say that this is as confident that I ever felt because I've had some incredible seasons, years here in Australian Open, some matches that are really unforgettable for me. Tough to compare because I've been fortunate to really live through a lot of success in Australian Open.

But last two matches, playing against two guys that are really good players, in-form players, to beat them dominantly in three sets is something that is definitely something that I want in this moment, something that sends a message to all my opponents remaining in the draw.

With this kind of game, of course the confidence level rises, considering, as you mentioned, the circumstances. I feel good on the court, better and better as the tournament progresses. I've been in this situation in so many times in my life, in my career, never lost a semifinals in Australian Open. Hopefully that will stay the same.

Q. Do you sense a greater determination this year compared with previous years, for whatever reason, hamstring, what happened last year, age?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't think that I lack determination. I always try to give my best, particularly in Grand Slams, because at this stage of my career those are the tournaments that count the most, of course.

But you could say that there is something extra this year, yeah. You could say because, yeah, as you mentioned, the injury, what happened last year. I just wanted to really do well.

So far I have a perfect score in Australian hard courts, in Adelaide and here. I've been playing better and better. I couldn't ask for a better situation to be in at the moment.

Q. With what Tommy and a couple other guys did here, what Frances did in New York, do you think it's important - maybe you don't think it matters - for American men to be relevant in the top levels of tennis?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Look, America for our sport is an extremely important country. We have some of the biggest tournaments in the world played there, in the North American continent. I think it is important that we see successful American men and women doing well.

America is producing historically always top players. Now you have a list of maybe four or five young players that are knocking on the door of the top level. I think that's great for our sport.

We want to see young, successful players that are coming from big country like America, of course.

Q. You spoke to James Keothavong about a guy shouting out in the crowd. Is it frustrating that it keeps happening?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: If it keeps happening, it keeps happening. There's not much I can do about it. Just a few individuals. I can't judge the whole crowd because of the few individuals. Absolutely not.

As I said, if somebody steps over the line and starts making comments that are not related to support of the other player, he just wants to provoke and insult, then stepping over the line is something that I react to. Maybe not first time, second time, but after that yes. Then I ask the chair umpire to react.

After that, I heard him, but he was supporting Rublev. He was not making any bad comments till the end of the match, so I didn't have any complaints about that further on.

Q. I have heard you sort of characterize other countries with a specific playing style. Do you think there's an American style?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: In terms of tennis style? How Americans play?

Q. You talk about the Russians...

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Or how they dress up like Big Foe (laughter)? Big Foe's attire was the talk of the tournament.

Well, I think that North American style of tennis is different from Europe, eastern Europe particularly, or South America. I think each part of the world has a different school of tennis, so to say, and style.

How I would describe North America, it would be probably the kind of style of tennis that is focused a lot on the powerful and accurate serve, and aggressive style, coming to the net.

Of course, some of the biggest champions of our sport that came from United States had different styles, like John McEnroe to Pete Sampras to Andre Agassi, right? Andre Agassi was probably the first guy that returned so well, stayed back - after Borg - not coming into the net as much as the other guys. 90% of the players were serve-volleying. Nowadays, you don't get to see that pretty much at all.

So the tennis has evolved and has changed definitely. The technology, the racquet, the strings, the balls, the speed of the surfaces. Not so many years ago you had three out of four slams played on grass. Yeah, I think it was '88 or '89 was the last years that we had. Also Australian Open played on grass. So a lot has changed.

It is the time where we have more sliding, tennis from back of the court, focused more on baseline rallies. But I think it's good. Somebody like Cressy, for example, from United States, that has a huge serve, basically comes in after first and second serve. It's nice to see that. I think it's good to have some variety for the fans as well to be able to enjoy different styles.

Q. A question regarding media narratives. Obviously there are talks about media from west and east, from Balkan throughout your whole career, especially when you played Roger or Nadal, also what happened last year. You mentioned yourself with the injury in the last press conference. People have different experience, different mentality, education. Me from Germany, people from America, Balkan. Regarding this all, how much do you think fair reporting is even possible with people from different backgrounds reporting about a worldwide sport like tennis?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Fair reporting?

Q. Yes.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: That's all relative. It's all relative. Fair reporting, maybe your opinion and my opinion is two different things.

I think what I personally like to see is just respect and not one-dimensional narrative that is focused only on one side of the story and keeps going for a while writing that story in that direction.

I like to see when someone is taking a different perspective, understanding if writing about me or any other athlete or character, understanding where he comes from, trying to be a bit more objective. I mean, that's something I like to see.

But again, I respect your profession and I understand that without you guys and without media, our sport would not be as it is, as global and popular. So I think we are all part of the same team. In the end of the day, we're all part of this wonderful sport that I feel like we all love and we live out of.

That's all. I understand that there are some people that just are maybe biased, they maybe like me more, like me less. That's it. It's really hard to kind of define that in a simple term.

'Fair reporting' is such a broad subject. It's very relative. It's difficult to determine what is the right way.