New York, August 30 (LaPresse) – “Matches like this, on one hand, give me confidence that I can still compete with the best and cause some problems. On the other hand, it’s frustrating to experience these ups and downs, something that didn’t usually happen in the past 20 years of my career. I have to accept who I am now and understand that the most important thing for me at the moment is recovery between matches. That’s why I might have to avoid training on days off and instead focus on resting to regain energy.”
So said Novak Djokovic, who qualified for the round of 16 at the US Open, the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, after defeating Britain’s Cameron Norrie.
There was also a minor scare due to a back issue: “At 5-3, 30-30 in the first set – explains the former world number one – I felt this problem after a strange movement and had to call the physio. I didn’t want Cameron to think I did it on purpose to break his rhythm, so I told him after the match. We’ll see how it feels once things cool down, but after the treatment I definitely felt better.”
Djokovic is 38 and doesn’t seem ready to schedule a break from his career. It’s something that comes from his nature: “This is really my passion: it’s not so much about avoiding physical issues, but staying well and healthy for as long as possible. I don’t think there’s much more I can do beyond what I’m already doing, but even so, my body is sending signals of fatigue. I need to listen to them, but I also try to push beyond them, for as long as I can. I still love competing a lot,” the Serbian concludes, “and I feel there’s still a lot of tennis left in me, as well as many motivations for different reasons. I want to see if I can still have a shot at a Slam or a big tournament, enjoying the love and support that surrounds me and that I feel every day.”