Djokovic Says No Changes Planned as He Defends 2011 Results

Written by: Staff on 24th January 2012

Djokovic Says No Changes Planned as He Defends 2011 Results |

Novak Djokovic is only just starting to defend what he achieved last season, but so far it’s going well, he says.

“Well, I’m going to experience lots of, let’s say, expectations and pressure of being a top player this year as long as I’m there. I think I started off well. I think physically, mentally I’m motivated, physically I’m fresh, I’m very well-prepared. I’m playing really good tennis.

“There are some things that obviously I want to work on, I want to get better for the next round. But look, you know, it’s normal to have ups and downs. It’s normal to expect that in most of the matches that I play I will be a favorite, I will be expected to win comfortably. But, you know, I cannot underestimate any opponent. You know, I have to stay dedicated and stay focused. As long as it’s like that, I think I’m on the right path.”

The world number one has been careful not to change what took him to the top, whether it be his support team, attitude or anything else.

“My approach hasn’t changed towards the sport itself and towards my preparations for the big events like this one. I still am surrounded with the same team, same amount of people, same people, and they’re taking care of my on-court performance, activities, things like that. I feel very comfortable right now working with them.

“Nowadays it’s very physical so you have to work very hard, you have to be dedicated, you have to take care of the smallest details off the court as well, how you organize your life, you have to be emotionally balanced. All these kind of things play a very significant role, you know, in your performance on the court.

“I have to accept this life as simple as possible, you know, because you can easily get carried away. There is a lot of temptations, especially when you’re at the top. Obviously you get more attention and more temptations to do some things that can affect your performance in a negative way. I’ve been working on my emotional stability, trying to not have some really high ups and downs, just try to stay as calm as possible, especially in this situation. I think I’ve been handling it really well because I could easily get my emotions out as I usually did.”

Topics: Australian Open, Novak Djokovic