Novak Djokovic spoke to journalists before the start of the tournament in Rome.
Izvor: Felice Calabrò / IPA / Profimedia
Novak Djokovic is going for his seventh title at the tournament in Rome. He has lifted the trophy six times in this competition, and so far this season he has not managed to do it once. We’re already in May, and Nole doesn’t have a trophy. That’s why he wants to visit him in Italy and go to Roland Garros with extra self-confidence.
He arrived in the Italian capital and held his first press conference there. “It was not in the schedule to play in Madrid, the plan was to come here. I had enough time to rest and train. I arrived a few days ago, I trained on the central court and I will have four or five days to train before the first match,” Novak began.
His goal is clear, he wants to improve his form. “I hope that I can play better here than in Monte Carlo, that is my wish, as well as to go as far as possible. We’ll see. The concept is different. For the first time, Rome and Madrid are two-week tournaments, like Indian Wells and Miami, and that gives more time to rest between matches, which can be beneficial for me.”
Gebhard Fil-Grič is again a member of the coaching staff instead of Marko Paniki, with whom he ended his cooperation. “I work with a fitness trainer that I have worked with for many years. It didn’t take me long to adapt to his program and approach. We know each other very well and that is why we are in sync from the very beginning, we know what we want and what kind of approach is needed. We’ll see how that translates to the field.”
On the Roman clay, Novak has already trained with Grigor Dimitrov and Holger Rune. “Training with a sparring partner is not the same as when you train with a player who is in the top 5 or top 10 in the world. It is a great opportunity for me to feel the field, to get used to it as easily as possible and to build that momentum.”
Source: MN PRESS
Finally, he was also asked about the retirement of Dominik Thiem, which was reported by the Austrian media. “I don’t want to comment on speculation, until I hear it officially from him, I don’t want to talk about it. I can say that Dominik is a great person and an example of a person who never gives up, even when he had big problems with injuries. He is trying to return to the level he was at when he won the Grand Slam and was at the top. I know how difficult it is, since I also had a serious elbow injury in 2018, but I managed to return to him after six or seven months it’s been going on for a few years and it’s not easy for him. As a tennis fan and his colleague, I hope he comes back, because it’s exciting to watch him. I hope he stays and plays for a long time, because he’s important to our sport, but of course, the decision is his,” Djokovic concluded.
Follow all the sports news in one place, be part of it Mondo sports community on Viber!