AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2025

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/T. Machac

6-1, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Well done, Novak. Straight sets tonight. Do you feel your level is improving each round?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, I think so. Best match of the tournament for me. I didn't have too many drops in the concentration and the level of tennis. Physically struggled I think at the beginning of the second for those, whatever, 15, 20 minutes.

You know, but I managed to turn things around from an early break loss in the second. Rebroke his serve, and then I was break up and held the serve all the way through.

So that second set was a key, obviously, to get that one under my belt and, you know, found my serves when I needed to. Had a break after that break. In the third I felt fresher and played really well to close out the match.

I knew it was going to be a tough test. I didn't expect, to be honest -- I always hope, but I didn't expect to win in straight sets against him, because he's in red-hot form, and I'm still to find the best tennis myself. But I think I prepared myself very well and played a terrific match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I think after you said you were feeling a bit hot-headed. Can you talk about some of the frustrations you felt with the crowd tonight?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, I'll just leave it. You know, it's nothing that hasn't happened yet. It's fine (smiling). It's all heat of the battle.

Q. Do you think any of it overstepped the mark?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, few people here and there. Yeah. I understand you have few drinks more, and then you get into it.

But, you know, on the court it's frustrating, and it comes in a bad moment. If it's repetitive, it happens for an hour, somebody tells you in the corner things that you don't want to hear and constant provoking, then of course it comes to the point where you just respond (smiling).

So I tried to tolerate, but then at one point I had to respond, and that's all. That's all to say about it.

Q. Danielle Collins played last night, and she got a lot of attention for her interactions with the crowd.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I loved her response. I loved it, everything she said on the court, off the court (laughter).

Big fan of Danielle Collins after that. I was before, but now, big fan (smiling). I love it.

Q. Do you think it should be more appreciated because you can give it back?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I heard some comments of people that she shouldn't have said that or that. I think she handled it really well. I don't think I would be that polite, and I know exactly the feeling. So I think she was funny, smart, and just big fan of what she did. Big fan (laughter).

Q. Do you think tennis can be less precious or serious about these things?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't know. Yes and no. We have the history and tradition that we are proud of and makes our sport different from other sports, but at the same time, you know, I think we have been a little bit behind the other sports with changes and trying to keep the pace with the evolution of society and the new generation that we all know doesn't have that much of a great attention span, and they want the movement.

So, for example, the last couple of years I think only that we have this new rule where people are able to come in even if it's not a changeover. So I guess that's one of the ways to really try to open up a bit more and not have strict rules.

It's not easy for players, I guess. I mean, from my side, not easy to go from one end to another extreme and just let everybody say whatever they want to say, talk, scream during the point.

So I feel with tennis it takes a little bit more time, but with NextGen Finals, which is a concept that I think is very positive for our sport, and I had my differences with Chris Kermode, our former president, but with NextGen Finals, I think it was a brilliant idea to test, you know, certain changes that we might want to implement on the tour level, highest tour level.

I don't know if they still have it. They had these head phones, coaching, and then everyone watching in TV can hear what the player and coach are talking about, Fast4 sets, no ad, no let. Maybe not everything is ready to be implemented on the highest level, but I think there are certain changes that are worthy of considering.

So yeah, I think that we should try to look to connect more with the younger people and bring them. I want to see a little bit more entertainment. For example, why wouldn't we consider doing something between the sets like the Super Bowl or, I don't know, the NBA, right? When there is a timeout, they have, you know, dancers come in and this and that. I wouldn't have problem with that. Nice dancers, you know, there for a few minute more break so I can relax my nerves and think about something else (smiling).

I feel like it would bring more fun element and entertainment to the tennis that we know has been quite traditional and maybe conservative in some things. When we talk about conservative, we know Wimbledon is the most conservative. But, for example, with Wimbledon I wouldn't change much. I would keep it as it is, because it's so unique, all white and strawberries and cream and everything about it is just so elegant and classy.

But all the others, US Open, I mean, in USA, you guys know very well what entertainment is about. So I'm up for it, just like maybe gradual changes (smiling). Dancers first.

Q. Alex de Minaur is becoming a big hope for really going deep in the tournament. You have barely played him, but you did beat him two years ago. What would you say about his improvement over the last 12 to 24 months?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Terrific improvement. I think his serve became a big weapon. Maybe it wasn't before.

He was always fast, so he kept that, I mean, that speed on the court. I think he's coming into, like, he's approaching much more than he used to do.

We all know how good he's defending, but his offense has improved a lot. His court positioning has improved.

You know, it's not a surprise that he ended up top 10 last season in his best season yet. So I think we're gonna see still great things from Alex in this tournament. I have watched him play a few matches, and the level is great. Level is great. He's got the crowd behind him. He's playing really well.

Q. Your next opponent you have played once. He can be quite an aggressive player. I'm curious what separates him compared to the other more aggressive, powerful players on tour.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Lehecka has won Brisbane and is in really good form, winning comfortably his first three rounds here.

For sure, another Czech player that I'm going to face that there are some similarities between him and Machac, I think. The Czech tennis school backhands are terrific. I mean, such solid backhands. Lehecka is one of the fittest guys on the tour, and I think his serve is underestimated. He's a big weapon. Wins a lot of free points in the first serve.

Well, the more matches you win, the more confident you are, so I'm sure this kind of matchup comes at the right time for him. I'm sure he feels that he can beat me. You know, if we play on center court, you know, night session, it would be a great matchup. I'm looking forward to it.

I like the way I played tonight, and I can expect another aggressive player that plays very flat, similar to what I experienced tonight, and hopefully the result will be same.