Novak Djokovic has progressed to the third round of the US Open, but the 24-time Grand Slam champion admitted he is still working to solve his own tennis challenges after a tough win over Zachary Svajda.
Djokovic lost the first set but came back to secure a 6-7(5) 6-3 6-3 6-1 victory on Wednesday. However, his post-match demeanor showed a man grappling with his tennis struggles instead of celebrating another step towards a potential fifth US Open title.
“I’m not happy with my tennis level, but you know, there are days like this where you’re not at your best, yet you find a way,” Djokovic explained.
“I’m just trying to solve the puzzle once I’m on the court.”
When questioned about his visible frustration during the match, Djokovic was candid as usual.
“It’s not that I don’t enjoy competing on the court. I love competing, but I don’t like playing poorly. That’s why I put extra pressure on myself and my team to improve the next day, the next match,” he said.
“It’s not about motivation. It’s more about me being a bit frustrated with my game, and then I go through things internally. You wouldn’t want to know the details of what I’m telling myself.”
Djokovic, aiming to surpass Margaret Court and become the all-time leader in Grand Slam singles titles, has achieved every honor tennis offers, winning 100 singles titles throughout his remarkable career.
He completed the career Grand Slam at Roland Garros in 2016 and added an Olympic gold medal to his accolades last year.
“There’s always something to prove when you step on the court, like proving you can still win a tennis match,” he said. “Not to get too philosophical, but I still love the competition and the drive I feel on the court.
“I’m often very hard on myself because I expect to always play at the highest level, which is obviously not always possible.
“I still desire to compete with the younger players. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here playing.”
Djokovic described achieving the career Grand Slam as mainly bringing “relief” rather than sheer joy.
“I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself, and of course, there are always expectations from those around me, wondering if this is the year, and it’s a repeated cycle.
“So when that was accomplished, the primary feeling was just relief.”
Next for the seventh seed is a third-round match against Briton Cameron Norrie.
