ATP Finals 2023 | Novak Djokovic: “I’m not in Jannik’s head” – Eurosport

Clearly annoyed when he left the court, the Serb was more pragmatic and fatalistic at the press conference. At least without any apparent regret at having dropped a round against the Polish giant. “I was focused on winning the match, which I did. The result of tonight’s match is not in my hands so… it is what it is. I don’t really think about it anyway. I’m just thinking about cuddling my kids right now“, he estimated.

It is true that at this altitude and in fast conditions, Hubert Hurkacz’s serve was not a gift for anyone, even for the greatest receiver in the world. Djokovic paid dearly for a loss of concentration in the fifth game of the second set which cost him the break and the set. In the event of success in two rounds, he would not have been officially qualified, but a Rune victory would not have condemned him as is now the case.

Appearing less lively than usual, with a strained nose, undoubtedly tired from his first two fights of the week, Djokovic was not at 100% of his abilities, which perhaps prevented him from bending the affair in two rounds. But the time for regrets has already passed and only one man can brighten his horizon: Jannik Sinner, his executioner on Tuesday after an exceptional struggle. Such is the irony of the Masters and this group stage. So will he be behind the Italian 100%, like Alexander Zverev who is hoping for a victory for Daniil Medvedev over Carlos Alcaraz on Friday?

“No, I won’t be his fan. If he wins, I will qualify. If he doesn’t win, I will have finished the season with a victory and I will turn to the Davis Cup. My priority now is my children. I’m going to recover, spend time with them and probably go to dinner. I probably won’t see the match, I’ll just follow the score“, he said. A way for him to disconnect and not waste energy unnecessarily, especially if the adventure were to continue in Piedmont.

Still, his position is all the more uncomfortable as Jannik Sinner is already qualified. For the Italian, winning this 3rd and final group match is therefore not fundamental, far from it, while Holger Rune will play for his survival in the tournament. In this context, could the Italian even be tempted to save himself for the future and therefore not give 100%? Without forgetting that a defeat would keep a potentially vengeful Djokovic out of his way in the final… The Serb does not prefer to believe it.

“What kind of battle can we expect tonight? I don’t know. I don’t know what Jannik has in mind. Of course, he’s qualified before he even steps on the court, and I think that’s a big relief for him. Knowing him, he will try to win every match he plays. He plays really well, Rune too. It will be an interesting duel because they are more or less from the same generation, they are great rivals. I think we’ll see this rivalry in the future, and I’m sure they don’t want to lose to each other, especially in such a big tournament. We’ll see what happens.”