Djokovic: 'I'm not too worried, especially not about Rafael Nadal on...'

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Although he was also surprised by the elimination of Rafael Nadal in Monte Carlo, Novak Djokovic did not want to delve into the Majorcan's defeat and assured that these "surprises" happen in a sport as competitive as tennis. "We have probably led many people to believe that we can play perfect tennis every week for the rest of our lives. That is not possible. I don't think there is anything strange: a bad week, our rivals had a great day and they win a tennis match . As simple as that. Rafa (Nadal) and Roger Federer have played at an incredible level for the last 15 or 20 years,” said the Serbian after his victory in the second round of the ATP 250 in Belgrade. “Now we have a very good generation of young players who are improving and we have to adapt, find how to adjust our game to these types of players who are challenging us for the best titles. The truth is that I do not find it quite worrying, especially if we talk about Rafa on clay: in two weeks he will probably find his way to play on clay. It is clear that nobody wants to lose, that we want to maintain that level and that quality whenever we can, but this is sport and I believe that our intention is to seek to reach our peak of form in the most important tournaments," he added in statements taken up by 'Punto of Break'. Now, both he and Rafa are playing an ATP tournament in their respective countries, trying to regain the confidence that left after their participation in Monte Carlo. Novak Djokovic picked up a comfortable win over Kwon Soon-woo in the second round of the Serbia Open on Wednesday. The Serb will now take on compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic in the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 event.

Novak Djokovic on the Big 3

"We have probably convinced many that we can play perfectly every week for the rest of our lives, but that is not possible," Novak Djokovic said. "There is nothing strange about that, it just happens to be a weak week, the opponent is good and that's it. Rafael Nadal and I, like Roger Federer, have been dominant for the last 15 years." Novak Djokovic, however, claimed that he is not worried about his long-time rival's start on clay, and that it is "interesting" for the sport if the top guys lose to new players. "I'm not too worried, especially not about Rafa on clay," Djokovic said. "One, two weak matches, that doesn't change anything. It is interesting for our sport to lose to new players, all that makes matches more interesting for the fans. Our goal is to keep the level of the game high, but this is a sport and we both have a tendency and intention to play the best in the biggest tournaments," Novak Djokovic said. "He in Barcelona, I here in Belgrade, we have a strong myth, but it is also extra pressure. The feeling is different, we are not the only ones who play well, you have thousands of them who play well now."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3aANzWE

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