Novak Djokovic remains positive over immediate future
Novak Djokovic insists he remains passionate about competing at the highest level with the Serbian star set to take part in the Tel Aviv Open this week.
Djokovic participated at the Laver Cup last weekend to help celebrate the career of great rival Roger Federer. Federer retired on Friday after one last doubles match with his other main rival, Rafael Nadal. Djokovic was honoured to play a part in such a special moment.
”I have a massive respect for Roger and to what he contributed to our sport. His retirement is a sad moment for tennis,” Djokovic told the ATP.
Despite his great rival Federer calling it a day, world number seven Djokovic is still eager to compete at the very highest level. ”I still want to play tennis even though I achieved pretty much everything that you can achieve in tennis,” Djokovic said. ”I still have passion and hunger to play at a highest professional level.”
Novak Djokovic will now compete in the Tel Aviv Watergen Open in Israel. The top seed will play either Pablo Andujar or Thiago Monteiro in the round of 16 on Thursday.
”I wanted to play for three weeks in a row so Tel Aviv was a perfect choice for me,” Djokovic said.
He revealed last Sunday in a post Laver Cup press conference that he also hopes to play the ATP 500 in Kazakhstan next week
Djokovic will also compete in the doubles in Tel Aviv, teaming up with Israeli Jonathan Erlich who will retire after the tournament. Erlich was the Serb’s doubles partner for his only ATP doubles title, at Queens in 2010.
”I am honoured to be next to him on the court at this time, in front of his crowd in his hometown. Hopefully it won’t be just one match, we will try to go as far as possible”, he told local press.
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