Djokovic’s full press conference after US Open exit: discussing the future, exhaustion, and enjoying the game

Djokovic reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slams this year, but was defeated by Jannik Sinner at both the French Open and Wimbledon, and had to retire from the Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev because of injury. In the US Open semifinal, facing the younger Alcaraz, he barely had any opportunity. The five-time Grand Slam champion lost 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 to the 22-year-old, who advanced to his seventh Grand Slam final.

After his latest defeat to two of the top players in men’s tennis, what lies ahead for the 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic?

Question: Novak, your performance in Grand Slams this year is something every player on tour, except perhaps two, would envy. How do you evaluate your achievements? Are they enough for your future?

Novak Djokovic“I think you’re right. You have to understand, I lost in the semifinals of three Grand Slams to those guys, who are truly outstanding and playing at a very high level. Unfortunately, I ran out of energy after the second set. I felt I had enough stamina to compete and keep up with him for two sets.”

“But after that, I was completely drained, while he kept pushing forward. That’s been my experience this year, also against Jannik. The best-of-five format makes it very hard to keep up with them, especially in the final stages of Grand Slams. As for the future… sorry, what do you mean by future?”

Question: I mean whether these results are sufficient for your future participation in Grand Slams.

Djokovic“I’m satisfied with my tennis level, but the issue is physical endurance. I’ve tried my best, as I said after the quarterfinal press conference, I told everyone I would do everything possible to keep my body in top shape and maintain that level and pace when needed, but clearly it wasn’t enough.”

“Unfortunately, at this stage of my career, some things are beyond my control. I can only do my best. In the future, beating the ‘top version’ of Alcaraz in best-of-five Grand Slam matches will be extremely difficult for me. I feel I have better chances in best-of-three, but best-of-five is really tough.”

“That said, I won’t give up on Grand Slams just yet. I will keep fighting, aiming to reach finals and at least contest for another trophy, but I know it will be a very, very challenging task.”

Question: Novak, you played very well today. How do you view their progress and the improvements you saw from Carlos today? You seem stronger than everyone else except them; how big do you think the gap is between you and them?

Djokovic“The progress of the young players is expected. These two are now the best players in the world; if you don’t improve, there’s a problem, so you have to adapt and make changes.”

“They seem to have excellent teams, great training strategies, and a strong attitude towards tennis, which their results prove. Undoubtedly, they improve every year, and that’s to be expected. Honestly, there’s nothing unusual about it.”

Question: Novak, after losing to Jannik at Wimbledon, you showed great composure. How do you feel this time? Is it similar or different?

Djokovic“For me, it’s quite simple. I don’t want to repeat myself; I think I already explained in the first answer. What happened today? Of course, on court, when you can’t keep up physically with your opponent, it’s frustrating.”

“But at the same time, I think it’s expected as time passes and you get older. Still, I enjoy the excitement of the game. Today, I once again received incredible support from the crowd, and I’m very grateful. I really enjoyed this moment, which is one of the main reasons I keep going. The love I’ve gotten worldwide over the past few years has been unbelievable.”

Question: Yes, that’s basically my question. How much enjoyment do you get from playing like this and being loved by people? Is it enough for you?

Djokovic“Actually, I’m happy, especially in the second set, competing with Carlos in some great points. The crowd was very engaged, the score was close, but at critical moments, he was just the better player.”

“Losing a tennis match is never enjoyable. But if I have to lose to someone, I’d rather it be these two, because I know they are the better players right now. So you can only salute them and say ‘well played.’”

Question: I’m curious about the physical condition issue. During this tournament, did you ever hit a ‘wall’ (physical exhaustion) at some point? Or was it more the cumulative fatigue over the tournament until…

Djokovic“Overall, I just ran out of energy. As I said, luckily today I wasn’t hampered by injury, so no complaints there, but my fitness level simply wasn’t enough to match Carlos.”

Question: Hey Novak, I know it might be too early to ask, but do you have any plans from now until the Australian Open?

Djokovic“That’s still far away, the Australian Open is far off. At least at this stage of my career, honestly, I’m not thinking that far ahead. I’m not sure, but I will definitely play the Athens tournament. Beyond that, where I go and what I do next is still uncertain.”

Question: This is similar to what you mentioned before—you can keep up better in best-of-three matches. So will you consider playing more of those events next year?

Djokovic“We’ll see. I have to discuss with my team. But after this Grand Slam season, I do have that idea—I’m not saying I’ll skip Grand Slams, I still want to compete fully in them next year.”

“But whether that happens depends on circumstances. Because Grand Slams are Grand Slams; they are different from other tournaments, the pillars of our sport, the most important competitions.”

“However, I do feel I have better chances in best-of-three matches, like week-long events or Masters tournaments—Masters last nearly two weeks with plenty of rest between matches. So those events might suit me better against these players.”

……

Athens tournament: November 2-8. ATP 250 event.

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