Novak Djokovic said it was important for him to get back playing after opened his Rome Masters campaign with a win.
The world number one was on court for the first time since his disqualification at the US Open, but be came out on top in a surprisingly competitive match against Italian Salvatore Caruso.
“I was actually looking forward to (playing again) as soon as possible after what happened in New York,” Novak Djokovic said after his 6-3, 6-2 win.
“Because I feel like the sentiment on the court needs to be positive, and I need to kind of remove anything that can possibly cause any kind of issues to me — if there is something.”
Caruso’s performance was way above his expected level, with the wildcard entrant actually hitting more winners than Djokovic.
“It was a hot day against Caruso who already played three matches here, a clay court specialist. It was a very good test for me.
“I’m very pleased with the way I handled myself in important moments.”
