Novak Djokovic: "This is when I will consider the retirement"
11/20/2023 06:30 AM
The Serbian champion Novak Djokovic, after having risked being eliminated before the semifinals of the 2023 edition of the ATP Finals, raised his level exponentially and beat first Carlos Alcaraz and then Jannik Sinner. The Serbian champion, at the press conference, underlined how he must thank Sinner for the victory, talking abiut his path in Turin and giving an interesting answer who those who asks for his retirement. "Goran Ivanisevic, last Saturday, understood that you would win the tournament. Did I have the same feeling? Yes. Perhaps the ones against Sinner and Alcaraz, given the circumstances, are the two best matches I have played this season. We all know the qualities by Alcaraz and Sinner. Facing Sinner in front of his crowd, the way I finished the tournament and the season, it's all amazing. I am very proud of my performance. Goran was probably referring to the fact that I wasn't mentally present after having the certainty of finishing the year as number one. This was reflected in my level of play and my performances," he explained, before focusing on Sinner.
The Serbian champion gives a beautiful answer to those who asks fot his retirement"Obviously, I thank Sinner for allowing me to reach the semifinal when I was in the balance. I tried to take a step forward and played two matches at the highest level. Today I was very aggressive from the first moment against Sinner: it was a different match compared to to the previous one. I think that match helped me manage the atmosphere and the crowd better. Obviously I analyzed the match to understand what I could have done better. Jannik is a very kind guy, who follows the right values. He deserves all this success and is on the right path. I'm not the only one to say that he can win Slams and become number one. I would be surprised if this didn't happen. I don't know if it will happen next year or the year after. He is only 22 years old and has a lot of time ahead of him. He, Alcaraz and Rune are the next Big 3. As long as I'm able to beat them in major tournaments I'll keep moving forward. Why should I stop if I'm still winning these tournaments? When they start beating me, I will consider retiring," explained the Serb.
