Djokovic – “I still see myself as the best player”

The grand final of the Masters took place this Sunday. Novak Djokovic, 36 years old, faced Casper Ruud, 23 years old. The Serbian once again proved that he has the upper hand on the ATP circuit. Just like his exceptional end of the season, Nole ended this final as the boss, with an ace to put an end to the Norwegian’s hopes with a score of 7-5, 6-3. The man with 21 Grand Slam titles wins his sixth Masters, seven years after his last title. With this new title, he equals Roger Federer in the ATP Finals and becomes the oldest winner of the competition at 35 years old. Djokovic continues to write his legend and concludes in the best way the most outstanding season of his career.

After the match, the great champion gave his impressions of the final in comments reported by the ATP: “This is a final. Usually, this kind of match is decided by very small margins,” said Djokovic. “One break was enough in both sets. I knew Casper was playing very well before this match. We both served very well and I think in some decisive moments, like in the 12th game of the first set, I was able to put some returns back in. I made him run, I made him play. I’m really happy with the way I played. I was trying to be very aggressive and it worked really well. I’m really pleased with the performance.”

Is Djokovic the best? His answer: “I’m not, I’m number five (laughs). In general, the rankings show who had the best year and that’s Alcaraz. In my mind, I still see myself as the best player in the world, of course. I have that kind of mentality, no matter who is on the other side of the net, the surface or the season. Ambitions are as high as they can be. I think it’s that approach that got me to where I am at 35 years old with one of the biggest trophies in the sport. I don’t feel like there is any thought of stopping or interrupting my tennis career anytime soon. I’m motivated, I feel good in my body, I can take care of myself and I have a great team. As long as I feel this way… As long as I feel the love and passion for tennis, I will do everything in my power to continue playing tennis.”