World No.1 Novak Djokovic has pledged to remain level-headed after becoming the 10th man in history to win six or more titles at a Grand Slam event.
Djokovic’s convincing win over Andy Murray has rewarded the Serbian with his 11th Grand Slam title, elevating him to fifth on the all-time list for the most major titles. Djokovic’s unbeaten start to 2016 has included wins over Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Murray. The Serbian now has a winning head-to-head against the other four players ranked in the worlds top five. With such an outstanding record, many have said that the Serbian is currently in his own league. On the other hand, Djokovic has admitted that he can’t afford to take his recent run for granted.
“I don’t want to allow myself to be in that frame of mind. Because if I do, the person becomes too arrogant and thinks that he’s a higher being or better than everybody else. You can get a big slap from karma very soon. I don’t want that”. The world No.1 said.
Reflecting on his 22nd win over Murray, the Serbian attributes his aggressive play towards the win. Describing the first half of the match ‘perfect’, the world No.1 was also complementary to Murray and his performance.
“I was very aggressive and just played the way I wanted to play against him, and executed the game plan perfectly for a set and a half”. Djokovic said about his performance.
“I thought I maybe could have done better in my service games when I was up a break both sets, second and third, but credit to him for fighting and showing why he’s one of the best in the world”. He later added.
The Australian Open is Djokovic’s third consecutive Grand Slam title after Wimbledon and the US Open. Speaking about the consistency in his game, Djokovic has stated that it is due to his continuous desire to improve his game.
“I’m not here because I played the same tennis I played last year. I feel like I’m playing better. I always strive to improve not just the game or technically, tactically, but also mentally”. Djokovic said.
The win in Melbourne is Djokovic’s sixth Australian Open title, equaling Roy Emerson’s record. The historic milestone was one of the factors which motivated Djokovic during his final against Murray. The 28-year-old said that the prospect of matching Emerson’s record was ‘a great imperative’ for him.
As Djokovic exit the Rod Laver arena, he was greeted by an army of fans waiting outside. Playing in his 12th Australian Open, the surprised world No.1 said that he has never experienced that amount of support before.
“It was amazing. I honestly did not expect that. I did not know what was waiting”. The thrilled Serbian said.
“They waited for me. I’m very grateful for their support. It’s quite incredible. I don’t take it for granted obviously”.
The outstanding start to the year has once again placed Djokovic on a promising road towards the elusive French Open trophy. Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam where the 28-year-has been been unsuccessful, settling for runner-up the past two years.
