The boss is back.
After a month and a half of abstinence since his loss to Medvedev in the US Open final, Novak Djokovic found his way back to victory on Tuesday night against Márton Fucsovics (6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in 2h00) in the second round of the Rolex Paris Masters.
A road strewn with some pitfalls as the solid Hungarian did more than resist during the last two sets.
Lacking rhythm, benchmarks and automatisms that have sometimes made him make the wrong choices, the Serbian, whose last defeat entering Paris dates back to 2012, was able to pull himself together in key moments, especially in return.
Avoiding a bitter disappointment that would have made a spot when it came time to tackle the home stretch of the season.
The return 🚶♂️ # RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/iAV4fJt8qQ
- ROLEX PARIS MASTERS (@RolexPMasters) November 2, 2021
Because at the beginning of September, in New York, the Serbian has already fallen from a height.
From very high.
Missing out on a double appointment with the legend of a calendar Grand Slam which would have made him the equal of Laver with a 21st Major to overtake Federer and Nadal.
But even in defeat, he did not lose everything.
He especially won this recognition after which he strikes in all directions for more than a decade.
“I took it as an opportunity to improve myself,” he explains.
This is what keeps me growing every time.
The disappointment was terrible but it is also a blessing because I felt the cheers of the audience, a support that I had never felt before in New York and maybe nowhere else in the world.
It was a victory with the public, not with my racket.
"
"I hope to gain strength"
Novak Djokovic
Monday, in doubles with his compatriot Krajinovic, Djoko was able to taste the encouragement of the 10,000 fans in the stands. Tuesday evening, he was able to count on the support of Central to get out of the woods. Enough to boost it for the end of the season after a healthy break. And there too, the objectives are not lacking. If he wins the Parisian Masters 1000 for the sixth time (or if Medvedev, who enters the contest on Wednesday evening, stumbles before the quarterfinals), the world No. 1 will be guaranteed to finish for the seventh time a season on the throne (better than Sampras).
A coronation at the Turin Masters in mid-November would put him at the level of Federer (six titles).
Not to mention the Davis Cup (or what remains of it) that he has not won since the success of Serbia over France in 2010. "I hope to gain strength as and", slips the one who will face Gaël Monfils or Adrian Mannarino in 8th.
Mystery about his participation in the Australian Open
Mystery on the other hand on the quest for 21. At the heart of the debate on the vaccination of players, the Serbian maintains the greatest suspense on his participation in the Australian Open if all players are forced to go through the injection box to make the trip to the antipodes.
“At the moment, there is no official announcement.
Until then, I will not talk about it.
And I won't talk about it any more, he blurted out.
I don't want to fuel controversy, speculation about it.
I will see what I do with it once the announcement is made.
"