Novak Đoković

[Liv]

Intervju pre finala

Spoiler: pokaži

N. Djokovic – an interview before the final
Saturday, 2 July 2011


Q. How does it feel to still be here at this stage of Wimbledon?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, it feels great. It feels a bit strange to do another press conference before the match. It's usually after the match.

But, you know, I'm excited. I'm excited. It's another day to come before the match starts, and I'm ready, you know. Will work today a little bit on the practice and spend most of the day relaxing and getting ready.

Q. You've achieved some firsts now for you: No. 1, first Wimbledon final. Now you have another that you're going to try to achieve: beating Rafael Nadal in a Grand Slam. Can you describe that challenge and how the other ones may have helped you prepare for this one?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it is quite different playing Nadal in a Grand Slam because it's a best of five. So physically we all know that he's superior and he's the strongest player around, you know, most prepared.

So I'm ready for long rallies, you know, long points. You know, I need to be physically ready, which I am. I feel fit in this moment, and mentally obviously motivated. It's my first Wimbledon final.

The four times I won against him this year can probably help me in some ways mentally prior to this match.

Q. What have you proven to yourself about the mental side of the game with what you've achieved in this half year?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I have always believed that I can, you know, win against the best players in the world in the biggest tournaments. Yeah, I guess I just needed to wait for the time to come, you know. I needed to be patient.

And last couple years has been a great experience for me playing on the top level. I was losing most of the matches against Nadal and Federer in the major events. Now I feel that I can win against those guys in a big matches, big events.

I matured as a player, and I feel that on the court.

Q. Yesterday Andy Murray at the start of the second set had one point which was very crucial that he missed. Seemed to let it affect him for a while. What do you do to make sure if you make one mistake that it's not the start of more?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, it's really unpredictable, I mean, what can happen to you. I mean, Andy Murray is a great player. He's mentally very stable and strong.

But it can happen. I mean, it can happen to anybody because it's a big occasion, it's a top men's tennis level. If you are letting your chance pass by and you have across the net player like Nadal, you know, you're not going to have any chances left.

You know, you just need to stay focused and I guess play each point, not think about, you know, the past, what you have missed. You know, it's just what you can do.

Q. Do you feel able to do that now? Do you think that's something you've put into your game this year?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, yes. You know, serve obviously improved. Against Rafa, if I have any chances of winning tomorrow, I need to serve well and I need to be aggressive. That's the game plan.

Q. You've got the No. 1 ranking. Do you feel you need to beat Rafa in a slam tomorrow just to prove to everyone you are the No. 1?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, you know, I don't need to prove anything to anybody just to myself. I want to win this trophy. This has been always my dream, you know, to be in the finals of Wimbledon.

So I am very much looking forward to it, very much excited. Look, there is no bigger challenge at this point in our sport than playing in Wimbledon final against Nadal, who has won out of the last three Wimbledons two times.

It's a big match.

Q. Will you be doing anything special to prepare yourself for Sunday?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, nothing special really. I will just stick to the usual routine.

Q. At the beginning of the tournament a lot of the experts and pundits were tipping either Rafa or Roger, talking a lot about Andy Murray, even though you had been the form player of the season so far. Do you feel you've got the respect for what you've achieved so far this season?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I mean, I don't give much attention to the speculations. You know, look, it's obvious most of the talks go around Federer and Nadal. They are two best players in this sport for last, you know, five, six years. It's kind of logical to expect that. You know, and then you have Murray, who is home favorite.

But, you know, I just try to keep the attention on my path, you know, my own tournament, my own matches, and then I guess the attention will come if I have more success.

Q. We've been quite carried away in this country about Liam Broady. You have a younger brother playing at a high standard. Have you brought him over just to show him what a Grand Slam is like? Can you talk a little bit about him?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes. I have two younger brothers. They're playing tennis, as well. Whenever there is an opportunity, if they can come to watch me play live, then they use it, you know.

I love to have them around. I love their support. I understand the role that they're going on now. I understand the feelings that they have. It's the same thing that I've been through.

This can serve them as a great experience. I played with my brother the last five, six days every day, days between the matches with the older brother, so it's great to have them around.

Q. How would you best describe Nadal the player and Nadal the person?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I mean, look, the player and the person, he's a real example of a champion. I mean, everything he does on and off the court is just I think unique. I mean, I'm young. I haven't seen the old greats, how they were playing and behaving.

But the way he's behaving is just an example to all kids, how you should take the success on and off the court. I mean, he's really fair play. He's always down to earth, even though he has won 10 Grand Slams, he has won Davis Cup, he has won Olympic gold medal. He has won everything.

I have only nice words about him.

Q. You say he's always fair play. He does have a reputation for slowing the game down, particularly when he's in a difficult situation. What's your take on that? If he does that tomorrow, how will you deal with it?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, you know, everybody has its own habits. I mean, I do tend to slow the game down sometimes myself with my ball bouncing and things like that.

It happens, you know. It happens time to time that you have these critical moments in the match, especially when you're feeling nervous. You take a little bit more time. I don't think he does that as a disrespecting to his opponent. It's just something that, you know, he does for himself to try to feel better. That's something that makes him feel better so...

But I don't mind it.

Ima i deo o Nadalu. Sve mi se chini da su novinari reshili da im je dosta finog Rafe i da ga polako pretvaraju u nefer igracha.
Izdvojila bih kraj jedino:

Q. Your reaction yesterday was very expressive. Winning this title, would this mean more to you than anything else you've ever achieved?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes (smiling).

Q. Because it's Wimbledon?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, because it's Wimbledon. Yeah, it's just simply something I've dreamed of forever.

@Alcesta, sigura sam da je Novakov minijaturni lik uglavljen negde nekako u taj shrenish na koshulji Ja sam prvo pomislila da je nosio kravatu sa zastavom.

[georgina]

Ja nisam videla ni Joksimovića ni Jovanu ni Ivanovića (u stvari ni na kzš ga nisam prepoznala, velika šteta ) a kamoli da snimim Srkijevu košulju kao vi. Btw, košulja mu je bila odlična, nema Novakove slike, stvarno zakerate.

e vala alcesta ni ja nista zivo nisam primetila. samo sam gledala u teren, noleta, rafu i lopticu

kako su ljudi imali nerava da sve ovo okolo primete, stvarno ne znam, samo znam da ja nisam

[AirBall]

Ma dobro... Bili su svi oni koji su medijski IN...

Inace morao je Ivanovic da ima akreditaciju neke vrste, jer u suprotnom ne bi mogao ni pod razno da pridje Djokovicu...

Nema sumnje da ce se sada hijene svih profesija stustiti oko njega, ali svakog cuda 3 dana dosta, tako da pretpostavljam da ce vec za par dana sve da se zaboravi, kao sto se sve i zaboravi...

Hvala ti Nole na svemu!

[vicharhcp]

264409_10150252023118701_24410993700_7320072_3687733_n.jpg

EVO GA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AirBall]

[Odin]

Zna li neko od vas nekog sportistu koji je ove godine pravio bolje rezultate od Djokovica? Ja ne mogu da se setim...

Ukoliko ovako nastavi, velike su sanse da Novak postane sportista godine, sto je takodje neverovatan uspeh!

[Maki]

Tako je

[Bodi Bond]

Možda Fetel može da mu bude konkurencija, mada ako nastavi ovako na betonu sigurno će da pokupi to priznanje.

Naravno, Pera Božić nije u konkurenciji.

[Liv]

Dobrodoshao na vishe nego zasluzheno prvo mesto, dechache.
Da ubelezhimo i stranicu Wimbledon sajta

[alcesta]

Zna li neko od vas nekog sportistu koji je ove godine pravio bolje rezultate od Djokovica? Ja ne mogu da se setim...

Ukoliko ovako nastavi, velike su sanse da Novak postane sportista godine, sto je takodje neverovatan uspeh!

Ako mu ove godine ne daju Laureus ništa nisu napravili a ne bi me čudilo i neki Edberg da padne pogotovo ako završi godinu na prvom mestu, iako to jelte nikakve veze nema.

[Maki]

Noletova poruka sa fejsa:

I am still living a dream, it's the best day of my life!Dolazim sutra u Beograd da proslavimo srpski, junacki svi zajedno! jel me cekate? Srbijo moja dolazim!!!!

[georgina]

Wozniacki tweet > 'Congrats to my neighbour and friend @DjokerNole for winning the finals today and get the number 1 ranking!'

Ivo Karlovic tweet > 'You're the king.' Next one > 'No, you're not the king, lion you're the emperor (lion in serbian sleng means 'you're the man, good sport, great friend....' something like that.

[georgina]

[alcesta]

Ivo Karlovic tweet > 'You're the king.' Next one > 'No, you're not the king, lion you're the emperor (lion in serbian sleng means 'you're the man, good sport, great friend....' something like that.

Laf u srcu

[georgina]

perota:
The New King of the Court

izmedju ostalog:

Nadal, who had been on a 20-match winning streak at Wimbledon and in the hunt for his third French Open-Wimbledon double, now has a bona fide nemesis—a Nadal to his Roger Federer. Five times this year, Djokovic and Nadal have met in a final, and five times Djokovic has won. Twice on hard courts. Twice on clay. And, now, on grass. Whatever the surface, whatever the tournament, Djokovic is the world's supreme tennis player.

"He is in the best moment of his career," Nadal said.

It has been a long moment. Djokovic's record since December: 50-1, a stretch of supremacy that rivals any in the history of sport, never mind tennis. Djokovic, who has longed to be No. 1 in the world since he was four years old, spent years in doubtful exile at No. 3 behind two of the best players ever. "I did have difficult, crisis times where I didn't know if I could really make it," he said. Now he's not only No. 1, but also perhaps something more: the most dominant athlete in the world today.

tignor:

Who said the rankings in tennis don’t make any sense? Tomorrow Novak Djokovic becomes No. 1 in the world for the first time. Today he won Wimbledon, also for the first time, by registering his first victory over world No. 2 Rafael Nadal at a Grand Slam. For once, the sport has it all in sync.

Two days ago, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was asked to describe Djokovic’s game after their semifinal. The Frenchman, with awe in his quiet voice, said, simply, that the Serb had been “everywhere.” If anything, Djokovic was in even more places today. Nadal came out determined to change the dynamic of their rallies by going down the line with his forehand, to Djokovic’s forehand, rather than letting the Serb beat him with his best shot, his backhand. It didn’t work. After five games Djokovic was moving instinctively in that direction and answering with his own down the line forehand winners. Even more decisive, though, was Djokovic’s return of serve. Nadal served brilliantly through much of the first set. In his last two service games, he made nine of 10 first serves at one stage, most in the 125-m.p.h. range, but where did they get him? Down set point at 4-5, 30-40 is where. On that point, Nadal tried another down the line forehand, but, having been burned by Djokovic too many times, he went for too much and hit it wide. The tone was set.

Nothing, not even his best, was working for Nadal. It only got worse in the second set, as Djokovic began to control the rallies with his forehand. It was a rare sight indeed to glimpse Nadal, rather than his opponent, on a string. But that’s where Djokovic had him. He played Tennis 101—serve wide, hit into the open court, wrong foot on the slippery grass when possible—at the highest level it can be played. More than that, Djokovic stole Nadal’s own answers from him. Down a break point in the second game of the second set, Nadal came forward and tried some vintage cat and mouse, a game he almost always wins. Not this time: Djokovic tracked down a slyly angled drop shot by Rafa and angled it back to a spot where the Spaniard, for once, couldn’t get to it. Cat was mouse; mouse was cat; Grand Slam second-fiddle was soon Grand Slam champ.

From my perspective in the press box seats in the corner, the biggest difference in this match, one that made itself felt in obvious and not-so-obvious ways, was in their backhands. Their serves were similar today. Their forehands are both excellent. Both men move as well as anyone who has ever played tennis. But Djokovic has a better backhand. It’s a smoother, more versatile stroke; it’s much better on returns; he can use it as a second forehand and control points with it; if it drops anywhere short, he can put balls away with it; and perhaps most important, Djokovic never has to run around it and leave one side of his court open. We talk about his ability to scramble and get anything along the baseline, and he is second-to-none in that department. For three out of four sets, Nadal had nowhere to go. But part of that skill is also a product of Djokovic’s positioning. The excellence of his backhand allows him to patrol the middle of the court.

Nadal, on the other hand, despite a third-set rally, was never at his best. He said afterward that he had been nervous, and that he couldn’t find the rhythm that he had in the last three sets against Murray. His performance reminded me a little of Maria Sharapova’s yesterday. Just at the point when we thought we would see a few vintage running, flying winners from Nadal, they didn’t come; they flew long this time, they caught the net this time. In the final game, just at the point when we thought Nadal would buckle down and make the Wimbledon-final rookie sweat, it was Nadal who drilled two routine forehands out. Djokovic was the calmer and more consistent player in the clutch. This makes five straight final-round losses to Djokovic for Rafa. As good as his match-up with Federer is, that’s as bad as his match-up with the Serb appears to be at the moment. It’s Djokovic, with his forehand into Nadal’s backhand, who has the go-to play in their rallies.

Still, this match didn’t come without its proverbial moments of truth. The first came at the start of the fourth set. Nadal had made his expected move in the third, and the crowd was fully behind him as he reached break point at the start of the fourth. Djokovic’s forehand had gone off, and he’d begun to cede the rallies to Rafa. But he stopped the bleeding at break point with two strong serves—his most improved shot of 2011 was there for him again.

What Djokovic did in his second moment of truth was even more impressive. Three years ago, Rafael Nadal was serving for his first Wimbledon title against Roger Federer at 8-7 in the fifth set. After losing the first point, he decided to serve and volley for the first time in the entire match. He won the point and went on to hold. It was roundly lauded, by myself and others, as a moment of competitive genius. Today, Novak Djokovic served for his first Wimbledon title at 5-3 in the fourth against Nadal. He lost the first point on a nervous first forehand wide. At 30-30, he took a page from the Genius of Nadal book and served and volleyed for one of the few times all day. It worked like a charm, and he went on to hold.

“That’s what champions do,” we like to say. And the sport's biggest champions do it on this court. Novak Djokovic already knew he would be No. 1 when he started this match. Now he knows, with a dream-fulfilling win at his favorite tournament, with a calm and crafty play at just the right moment, with a victory over a two-time winner, that he can do everything a champion does. Tennis has a new one. And a new One.

—Steve Tignor