We had left him in tears under his towel, after his final lost in New York against Daniil Medvedev at the US Open. We saw him again on Sunday in Paris, quite relaxed, during his “back to school” press conference, seven weeks after seeing his dream of a calendar Grand Slam fly away. After this capital disillusion, the 34-year-old Serbian took a step back and gave up on the prestigious Masters 1000 from Indian Wells, exceptionally repositioned in the fall due to the pandemic. Invited to the facilities of the Mouratoglou Academy, near Nice, the man with twenty Grand Slam titles had trained during the week with his executioner of the US Open Medvedev, under the eyes of a dozen privileged including the coach of the French football team, Didier Deschamps.
“
This loss is also a blessing because I felt the cheers of the audience, support that I had never felt before in New York and perhaps anywhere else in the world.
"
Novak Djokovic
Make way for the competition.
Djokovic assures him: he has digested the New York disappointment.
“
Over the years, I've learned to blame it for a loss.
I see them as opportunities to improve myself
”.
This setback was even bad for good.
The "unloved" has finally found the love of the public.
"
This defeat is also a blessing because I felt the cheers of the audience, a support that I had never felt before in New York and perhaps anywhere else in the world.
That kind of energy, which I have been able to tap into on and off the court, is a win for life.
It really touched me deep in my heart.
I was taken by surprise, I have to say, because I didn't expect so much positive energy, love from them.
Maybe it also influenced my game because I am used in general to play against my opponent and also against public.
"
Read also The program at Bercy this Monday
Before a possible round of 16 against Gaël Monfils, the world number one will find for his return to business the Italian Fabio Fognini (36th) or the Hungarian Marton Fucsovics (39th). “
I am very excited to come back to competition. It has been a really tiring season. There was a lot of success, but it took a lot of mental effort. And, off the court, I had to deal with a lot of things, including all the tension, all the expectations that were on my shoulders. I have trained well in recent weeks and have won this tournament a lot. But the fact that I haven't chained enough games can be dangerous.
"For the French number one, Gaël Monfils, the back of the Serbian in the final does not change anything:"
I still see him as a legend, someone exceptional, like the Novak who won three Grand Slams and who goes to the final of the last one.
For me, that doesn't change much.
Novak, it's still Novak, it's still a machine, always the same.
He just loses to world number two.
"
Also engaged in doubles for the Davis Cup
Five times winner of the Parisian Masters 1000, Djokovic aims to secure his place as world number one to afford a new record: finish for the seventh time in his career at the top of the ATP ranking at the end of the year and thus achieve better than the American Pete Sampras. “
I am rather in a good position in the Race in terms of points. That is of course my goal for this season.
The insatiable will not forget the Davis Cup (November 25-December 5) which will mark the end of the season after the Masters (November 14-21). He is thus engaged this week in doubles, alongside his compatriot Filip Krajinovic. A small event. We had to go back to October 2019 in Shanghai to find the “Djoker” in doubles during a Masters 1000.
The boss's return coincides with the hot vaccination debate for the upcoming Australian Open (January 17-30). A Grand Slam that the Serbian, title holder, has won nine times. Even if nothing is officially recorded yet, the Australian authorities insist that they will not compromise on the need to be fully vaccinated. Sunday, the king of the Australian Open preferred not to advance too far. “
I will decide if I go to Australia when there is an official statement from the Australian government. Until then, I will not talk about it. And I won't talk about it anymore. I don't want to fuel controversy, speculation about it.
One thing is certain, the record hunter is back in business in the home stretch of an almost perfect year.
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