US OPEN

September 4, 2005

Novak Djokovic

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I was telling in the last two, three conferences a lot about my breathing. I said it already five times. I said it five times. I don't know what is the main problem. Today I didn't have problem with it. It was just exhausting match, you know. I would like to congratulate to my opponent. I just didn't play my best today. I was trying, I was fighting, and that's why I played five sets. I think I had chance in the fourth set. But I think I lost a bit energy from last couple of days. Yeah, about the breathing, I didn't have problems today because the weather was much better for me to play. The first day was worst, first round.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah. Humid.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I like all kinds of surfaces. Mostly in the last two years, I was making best results on clay. Now I started to make good results on grass and hard court also. So, yeah, since I have this problem with breathing little bit on the clay, it's kind of difficult for me when I'm playing a long matches. But I hope that I will take care of this problem, that I will solve this problem next period, next couple of months. I think when I'm finished with this problem, I can play much, much better.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, no, I will focus now on bigger tournaments, tour events, Grand Slams, all these kind of tournaments. I think I'll keep the challengers. Maybe I'm going to play. I'm not sure. But my plan till end of the year is just to play tour events in Europe, five, six, seven tournaments, and to finish with the Paris Bercy. It's going to be my last tournament. After that, I'm planning to have a long preparation for next season.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I did. When I was 12, I went to Germany and I was practicing there for a couple of years. Then I was working in Niki Pilic's academy in Munich for four years. Then I went to Germany, in Frankfurt, for a year. After that, I had my personal coach. I was working with him almost a year. So our base was in Belgrade. But now since I started with a new coach, all new team, I'm practicing in Monte-Carlo since two months.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Ricardo Piatti.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Because, yeah, just because I think if I want to be a top player, if I want to make big results, I need some more experienced coach and I need some coach who will motivate me and give me the right advices to get to the top of the tennis.