Winner for the sixth time of the Rolex Paris Masters this Sunday, after dominating Daniil Medvedev in the final (4-6 6-3 6-3), Novak Djokovic confided his joy.
On the scenario of the match
«Despite losing the first set, I felt it was a close game. He served well and I was not consistent enough. I was making too many mistakes but I knew that things could turn in my favor because I had good feelings on the court.»
On his state of mind
«I had accomplished my biggest goal of the week the day before, winning my semi-final (to guarantee him to finish the year in first place in the world, Editor’s note). I felt relaxed, especially in the last two innings. We competed in long rallies and I got a lot of free points on my firsts. And I relied on the audience.»
“Daniil (Medvedev) is probably my biggest rival at this point in the season. There is no hole in his game. “
Novak Djokovic
On his offensive spirit against Medvedev
«I had to vary my game, sometimes playing that style of play to open the court for me because he is really standing very far from his baseline. He is so good at putting the ball back into the court, forcing you to commit a direct foul, that you have to display controlled aggressiveness in front of him. The stolen serve was of course part of the tactical plan and the strategy to try to take time, confuse him. I wanted to be a little unpredictable. That’s what you have to do against him because he likes to play rhythmically. It doesn’t always work, but it’s the right game plan. I managed to be pretty effective at net, especially on those volley serve phases.»
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Sur Daniil Medvedev
«Daniil is probably my biggest rival at this point in the season. There is no hole in his game. He always makes you play more, even from difficult positions. In terms of movement and defense, it’s incredible. And he progressed on his offensive shots. He is a hyper-complete player whose involvement and intelligence you can easily measure. I’m sure he will finish number one someday and it will be perfectly deserved, because he is the leader of the new generation.»
“I am very relieved that the Grand Slam tournaments of the season have passed, because I felt phenomenal pressure, like never in my life. “
Novak Djokovic
On his failure at the US Open
«I turned the page, and did what I came for: securing the world number one spot at the end of the season and winning the trophy. This is what I was focused on, and I’m glad I succeeded. I don’t spend my days moping because I didn’t do the Grand Slam this year. I am very relieved that the Grand Slam tournaments of the season have passed, because I felt phenomenal pressure, like never in my life. I have already closed this chapter. I have no regrets, really. And there are a lot more positive things to remember than negative ones.»
On the records
«The history of our sport was a huge source of motivation for me. Every day, the goal is to prove, to beat all the records. So, yes, I really want to continue. I consider myself a student of this sport. I admire and respect all those who have come before us and from whom we benefit. When I overtake a champion like Pete Sampras, my idol of my youth, it means a lot of course.»
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