He may have celebrated his 36th birthday in May, but his latest success in the Paris Masters underlined a tennis fact that sports fans have known for a long time: Novak Djokovic is built to win matches on the big stage.
The Serbian struggled with a stomach virus in the French capital that threatened to derail his tournament, but he dug deep and immediately dealt with players such as Tallon Griekspoor, Holger Rune, Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov to hold up the silverware.
It was his seventh indoor title in Paris and the 40th ATP Masters title of his career.
And he plans to keep winning.
“Of course I’m very proud of the achievement, but I’m already turning to the next page. While it is still possible for me, I want to win matches and compete at the highest level – Grand Slams and Masters tournaments are undoubtedly the most important tournaments,” said Djokovic in an interview with ATP.
In the same breath, he considers his Paris triumph to be one of his best performances yet.
“The virus undoubtedly took its toll, but I was able to switch to a higher gear when I needed it most. I almost lost a few of the matches and I think that is precisely what makes the eventual victory so special.”
According to Djokovic, it is a privilege to be one of the favorites in every tournament, but he is only human: He also struggles with his health, emotions and with challenges in his private life.
“Of course it all has an influence on your performance on the court. Still, I always try to give my very best. In Paris I had to accept that things are not always within my control; sometimes you just have to be willing to fight for every point.”
He has now won 18 games in a row, while he has only lost five games this year.
ATP Rankings:
- Novak Djokovic: 11,445 points
- Carlos Alcaraz: 8,455 points
- Daniil Medvedev: 7,200 points
- Jannik Sinner: 5,490 points
- Andrey Rublev: 5,205 points
- Stefanos Tsitsipas: 4,435 points
- Casper Ruud: 3,625 points
- Alexander Zverev: 3,585 points
- Taylor Fritz: 3,500 points
- Holger Rune: 3,460 points.
