AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2025

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/C. Alcaraz

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

THE MODERATOR: Another magnificent battle out on Rod Laver.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, best match of the tournament for me and possibly one of the best matches that was played on the men's side. Just super proud to push this one through in the four set.

Carlos brings so much energy and intensity on the court. He always demands the best of his opponent in order to, yeah, have a chance to win against him. I knew that coming into the match.

I thought I started off very well. It was quite even match. Then, yeah, the accident happened physically with me in the end of the first. I lost the first set. Came back. Somehow managed to win the second. I started to feel better I guess towards the end of the second, beginning of the third. I started to move better.

Yeah, I mean, every set was super close. The crowd was into it. So much energy on the court. It was amazing. It felt like it was finals of a slam, to be honest.

I wish it was (smiling).

I mean, credit to him for fighting. I think we both gave all on the court tonight. Hopefully people saw that.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I think we've seen over the last six months how you're able to find a level when you really need it... the Olympic final, today when you were under this pressure. Now that you've said it kind of felt like a final, obviously there's the physical element, but what about the emotional element of trying to go again now? How challenging is that going to be for you?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I mean, it's definitely going to be challenging from every aspect. I mean, I'm playing Zverev, who is in a great form, and he is going for his first Grand Slam. He's been close. I mean, I've seen him play. I practiced with him as well here.

I think he loves the conditions. He's got big serve. He's super dangerous opponent on this surface against anyone.

The extra day with no match comes at a good time. Yeah, as I said on the court, I have to assess the situation tomorrow when I make up. I will try to do as much as I possibly can with my recovery team, with my physio today, tomorrow, the next few days. Probably skip training tomorrow. I'll see if I'm going to train in two days or not.

I'll take it day by day. Now it's really about recovery. I'm concerned. I am, to be honest, physically. But if I manage somehow to, yeah, be physically good enough, I think mentally, emotionally I'm as motivated as I can be.

Yeah, this match drains both players. Almost three and a half, four hours of incredible battle, of high intensity, of course it has its toll.

At the same time I think it has more toll on the physical side rather than mental and emotional. Actually it feels like you're feeding off this kind of win. That's how I feel now. I hope to be able physically to be moving freely and to be able to be ready to play five sets.

I don't think I'm going to have mentally or emotionally any issue to face Zverev or to motivate myself or anything like that, so...

Q. You had this week obviously the Channel 9 drama, then such a brilliant opponent like Carlos, and you're fighting injury. How are you able to find your best tennis when you're backed against the wall and facing adversity?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I think I've experienced that few times in my career. Experience helps of understanding how to face adversity and draw, I guess, the right necessary strength and energy that you feed off in order to win a tennis match, to win a tournament.

Yeah, I mean, I don't recall last time it was any slam without some form of drama, to be honest (smiling). I guess that's part of it. We are out here competing and giving our best to grab a Grand Slam title.

A lot of things happen on the way. That's okay. I'm just pleased with the way I was able to play throughout the entire tournament, including tonight, against one of the best players, one of the two or three best players in the word in the last three, four years.

It's just a great win. I'm very proud of it.

Q. At the end you went over to Andy. This your first massive test with your new coach. How satisfied are you with how that's gone?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I mean, I felt to do it in the end of the match. I feel more and more connected with Andy every day. We face challenges every single day. People don't see that obviously.

I mean, we try to make the most out of every day and grow together. He's been as committed to my career and this tournament as he can be.

So it was kind of a, yeah, gesture of appreciation, respect for him, and the fact that he's out there, and he doesn't need to be. He accepted to work with me. He's giving all his support to me, to the whole team, and trying to make it work.

This was a huge win for all of us, including Andy and myself, you know, for the relationship. Yeah, that's why I went to him, because I just felt very grateful that he's there.

Q. I think you said on the court it was a similar injury to two years ago. That was a hamstring injury.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah.

Q. Is it the hamstring or the groin?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I'm not going to go into details, but it's very similar to what I had few years ago. 2023, to be exact. I haven't done any tests obviously.

I mean, I've done tests with the physio when they took me off the court, when I had the medical timeout. He strapped me, and then the doctor gave me some medication, so forth, some painkillers. That kicked in after 20, 30 minutes. It did help. Then I had to take another dose I think in the beginning of the fourth.

Yeah, now that it's cooling off, I can start to feel different things. Let's see how it goes tomorrow and day by day.

Q. Carlos said after you got injured he got distracted and lost his focus a little bit. Did you notice that?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I did.

Q. How do you stop yourself from getting distracted in your career when you see someone across the net that is injured?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, no, look, I saw it. I saw it. I try to use that to my advantage, in a sense, to take the initiative of the rallies and his hesitation. He was trying to play at some point quite a few dropshots and make me run.

I've been in the situations, as well, where opponent's struggling with injury, but keep going. The opponent is going for everything, and then he's staying in the match. Then all of a sudden as the match progresses, the opponent feels better. You're starting to panic a bit with your game.

I understand the feeling. Yeah, as I said on the court, I tried to understand how I feel. I didn't feel great the second set, but I went for my shots. I was really close to the line and just had to be more aggressive.

As I said in my previous answer, I felt better and better as the match progressed, particularly end of the second and the entire third till mid fourth set was the best that I felt in terms of the movement after that injury.

I felt like it wasn't restricting me as much, to be honest. I felt pretty much normal. Then, yeah, end of the fourth was a little bit worse, but still was okay.

Look, I feel for him. I understand that it's not comfortable to play someone that you don't know if he's going to retire or not. Is he moving? Is he running? What's happening? I felt that he was looking at me more than he was looking at himself.

I was just trying to be, yeah, self-observing what's going on in my body and at the same time focus on every point in every game and try to hold my serve and put pressure on him.

That's what happened. I put myself in a position where I could possibly break. I broke his serve at 5-4. It was good enough to clinch the set. Then set all, and you start to feel better. He starts to hesitate, to play with a bit more hesitation from the back of the court. He was missing a bit more. I started to play more freely.

It kind of reminded me of 2023 really when this happened. When Jim Courier actually asked can me on the court today about it, it does remind me a little bit of that feeling. Probably have to do the same on Friday.

Again, I don't know what's going to happen in next few days, but hoping for the best.