LONDON: After his triumph over Matteo Berrettini, Novak Djokovic was bombarded with questions from the media at the O2 Arena. Inevitably there were discussions over his upcoming showdown with Federer, as well as some that were not as expected.
Here is what we learned from Djokovic’s latest talk at the ATP Finals in London.
1. Federer will not be intimidated
One of the most anticipated matches of the round-robin stages is set to be Djokovic’s upcoming clash with Federer. It will be the first time the two players have locked horns since their mammoth clash at the Wimbledon Championships. Where Djokovic saved two match points before prevailing in the deciding tiebreaker.
There was no doubt the latest clash between the two tennis heavyweights left a mark on the Swiss player. But how much does Djokovic think it will have an impact on their forthcoming meeting?
“I will not expect it, to be honest, because Roger’s experience and mental strength have been almost unprecedented. He’s one of the greatest players ever to hold the racquet.” Said Djokovic.
“His ability to recover after big losses and cope with the pressure in tough moments on the court has been phenomenal over the years. I have tons of respect for him.”
Whey they do meet, it remains to be seen what the crowd will be like. Despite being the top seed in Wimbledon, Djokovic was undoubtedly the underdog with the pro-Federer crowd. Something few can dispute.
“Sometimes, the majority of the crowd is on your side, and sometimes it’s against you. It’s something throughout my career I had to learn how to handle, how to accept, and how to deal with that.” He stated.
“It will not be anything particularly different in terms of my reaction if that happens. I’m going to accept it and respect it, and that’s it. I’m going to try to focus on what needs to be done for me, you know, tactically in order to win a tennis match. That’s all it is.”
Djokovic leads Federer 26-22 in their head-to-head.
2. The key to his current form
Djokovic entered London with 53 wins under his belt from 14 tournaments played. The second-highest amount among those who have qualified. Daniil Medvedev leads with 59. The Serbian has always managed to do well at the end of the season, but what is his secret behind his success?
“I try to surround myself with the right people and be professional, I guess, committed with the routines daily because I know that in the long run that pays off.” He explains.
“That’s probably one of the reasons why I have managed to be healthy and fit, I guess, and fresh at the end of the season.”
It is hard to criticize the approach taken by the 32-year-old. Since his ATP Finals debut in 2007, Djokovic has progressed to the final seven times. Including all of his last six appearances.
“I think mentally you kind of are obliged to draw that last, I guess, drop of energy that you got in order to finish the season in the best possible way.”
3. He takes a standard approach to newcomers
Sunday was Djokovic’s first-ever meeting against Berrettini. Evidently, he handled the occasion pretty well. Dropping only three games in 62 minutes. One of which prompted a roar of frustration from him.
So how does Djokovic get ready to play somebody he has never taken on before? It turns out, that is is pretty much the same as any other player on the tour.
“I try to do my homework with my team.” He outlines. “We watched videos, tried to collect data and do the thorough analysis of his game, prepare ourselves well.”
“It’s not a guarantee that it will work well, but at least you know the patterns of play of your opponent, which helps, especially if you have never faced him before.”
Djokovic lost in both of his first-ever meetings with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. However, he did defeat Andy Murray.
4. Davis cup duty is no problem
As a result of the restructuring of the Davis Cup, the off-season has been delayed by one week. As soon as Djokovic’s ATP Finals campaign concludes, he will be heading to Madrid for the week-long team event. There he faces the prospect of playing daily in singles and even doubles too. It seems like a daunting task for many players after what has been a long season. However, Djokovic is in it for the title.
“I do feel good. I have been taking care of myself pretty well with my team. So my body has been responding positively, considering it’s final, you know, stages and final few weeks of the year where you tend to, you know, maybe have a bit more pain, so to say, than at the beginning of the year.” He evaluates.
Djokovic has represented Serbia in 25 Davis Cup ties. He has won 34 out of 44 matches played to date. In 2010 he was part of the team who won defeated France 3-2 in the final.
“I’m sure regardless of the fact that it has been a long season and it’s the last week of the year, I still will find that necessary strength in order to play well there.”
