Novak Djokovic returned to a final at the ATP Shanghai 2024, the first Masters 1000 of a season of ups and downs but brightened by the gold medal achieved in Paris. Jannik Sinner’s tennis was too much for the Serbian, who, nonetheless, finds a positive balance after a week where he displayed an enormous level of tennis at certain moments. He discussed his short-term future, motivations, and goals in a very interesting press conference.
– Positive conclusions from Shanghai despite the defeat in the final
“I think there are some positive conclusions I can draw. Firstly, my tennis level was really good in this tournament, probably the best since the Olympics in terms of how I felt, how I played, how I fought. Today, I did everything I could. Under circumstances where maybe I didn’t feel 100% fresh, but at the same time, all credit to Jannik for playing the important points better than me, that made the difference. He deserved to win, he was too strong in those crucial moments. Likewise, I even believe I played quite well in today’s final, so that gives me a reason to believe that I can still compete against these guys, who are the best in the world. I hope I can maintain that level in the coming months and in the future.”
– Persistence to keep fighting for major titles at 37 years old
“My main motivation comes from the love and passion for this sport, along with the desire to keep competing. These are the types of matches and challenges I strive for, to be able to play against the best in the world on the biggest stages. That’s why I work and that’s why I still push myself to the limit. I don’t know what the future holds, I will try to go with the flow and see where I stand at a given moment. I still plan to compete and play next season, we’ll see how far I can go.”
– The plan for the rest of the season
“The plan is to return home, well, next week is the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, I will play that, and from there we will see where I go next.”
– How important would it be for him to achieve his 100th title?
“It’s a bonus, of course, if it can happen. I wish it had happened today, but it couldn’t be. I will keep giving my all so that it can happen soon; it’s not a life or death goal, I believe I have already achieved all my major goals in my career. Right now, the most important thing is the Grand Slams and seeing how high I can raise my personal bar. As long as I keep playing as I did this week, and I still believe I can go toe-to-toe with the best, as long as that keeps happening, I imagine I will continue to feel the need to compete and the motivation to be out there. We’ll see how long that lasts.”
– Evaluation of a season that is getting closer to the end
“If we compare it to most of my seasons, in terms of results, this has been one of the worst. However, at some point, a year had to come when I wouldn’t win Slams or maintain that high level after so many consecutive years. And that’s okay, I’m happy with my gold medal at the Olympics, that was my main goal this year. Of course, I wish I had won a Grand Slam, but it’s okay, it is what it is. It’s one of those seasons you have to accept, and I am more than happy with everything I have achieved in my career.”
– What aspects of Sinner’s game remind him of his own game?
“He is a well-rounded player, he has all the shots. He has significantly improved his serve, I think it has become a great weapon. He is very aggressive from the baseline, whenever he gets a short ball, you know he will take the initiative. Very solid on both backhand and forehand, he hardly makes mistakes and takes time away from you. That reminds me of myself throughout my career, I guess that’s what I’ve done for so many years, that high-paced style of tennis, taking time away and in a way suffocating your opponent. That’s what you aim for, you want your opponents to always feel pressured by your speed, your presence on the court, and the quality of your shots. That’s something he has, and this year he has been tremendously consistent, it has been impressive.”
