The final of the Shanghai Rolex Masters was not enough for Novak Djokovic to reach yet another record in his career. The Serbian champion had to postpone his appointment with the 100th career title just a step away from achieving it, losing in three exciting sets against Jannik Sinner in the final of the Chinese tournament.
But it was a positive week for the Serbian champion, who beat tennis players like Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud and moved up to sixth place in the ATP Race to Turin to try to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals.
At the press conference, the 37-year-old said he was satisfied with his week and revealed his goals for the end of the season and for his future.
“I think there are several positives that I can take away. First of all, I think my tennis level was really good in this tournament, probably the best since the Olympic Games in terms of play, performance and fight. I did my best tonight. Maybe I didn’t feel 100% fresh, but at the same time, credit to Jannik for playing the important points better than me, and that’s what made the difference. He deserved to win. However, I think that even in today’s final I played quite well, which gives me reason to believe that I can still play with the best players in the world at this level.
I hope I can maintain this level in the coming months and also in the future. My main motivation comes from the love and passion for this sport, and also from the desire to continue competing. These are the matches and challenges that I still aspire to, to be able to play against the best players in the world, on the biggest stages, in the finals of some of the biggest tournaments in the world. That’s what I work for and that’s what I continue to strive for. I don’t know what the future holds for me. I still plan to compete and play next season, let’s see how far I go,” he analyzed.
On the 100th title, still slipping from the Serb’s hands, he said: “I would have liked it to happen today, but it was not meant to be. It’s not a do-or-die goal for me, I think I’ve achieved all my major goals in my career. If I continue to compete at this level I can still aspire to get it. Compared to most of my seasons in my entire career this was one of the worst in terms of results. But I knew there would come a time when I would not win Slams and maintain the highest level for so many years in a row. I’m happy with my gold medal at the Olympics, which was the main goal this year.”
Djokovic concluded by reflecting on the aspects of Sinner’s game that most remind him of his own game: “Every shot he has on the court. He has improved his serve enormously, which I think has become a great weapon. He’s very aggressive from the baseline, as soon as he has a shorter ball he takes the initiative. He’s very solid on both his forehand and backhand, he doesn’t make too many mistakes and he tries to take away time from his opponent. It’s something that reminds me of myself throughout my career, that’s what I’ve done consistently for many years, playing fast tennis, taking away time from the opponent, suffocating him in a certain way. This year he’s been so consistent that it’s really, really impressive.”
In the on-court interview after the match, Nole analyzed the challenge and spoke about his Italian rival, calling him really strong.
“I want to say thank you for the support you gave me during the week. There were always a lot of you at the exit of the hotel and it’s always a pleasure to play here. I’ve had a lot of success in China in my career and I’m happy to be back. I want to congratulate Sinner. You were too good for me today, Jannik. You deserved to win this title. I also want to congratulate Sinner’s team, I know a couple of guys!” he said.
The Serbian champion also found time to exchange a few words with Roger Federer, who watched the final in the stands.
“I also want to say hello to Roger, it’s nice to see you here. I’m not used to seeing you in the stands. It’s the first time I’ve played a match with you in the stands and not on the court. Thank you for coming. Also thank Carlos Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero for being part of this match. I was under a bit of pressure. I also want to say thank you to my team, who did a lot this week. Thanks to the organizers, because this tournament always makes us feel special,” he added.