Novak Djokovic: ‘Very proud to win Paris after what I’ve been through’

Novak Djokovic described himself as especially proud of his latest ATP Tour title after winning the Paris Masters.

Djokovic overcame Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-3 in the final in Paris, which was comparatively routine compared to his other wins this week, three of which went to a deciding set.

That made for a challenging week for the world number one, who was playing his first tournament since winning the US Open in September.

“[It’s] incredible,” Djokovic said of his latest title. “To be able to win it after quite challenging circumstances for me this week.

“Basically, coming back from the brink of losing three matches in a row, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I was very close to losing those matches and somehow managed to find an extra gear when it was needed.

“Today, I think we both were quite tight at the beginning, and I could see that he was running out of gas a little bit. Myself as well, but I somehow managed to find an extra shot over the net.

“I think the match was closer than the scoreline indicates, but another amazing win for me. I’m very proud of this one, considering g what I’ve been through this week.”

Novak Djokovic injury issues in Paris

Djokovic is in such good condition and playing at such an incredible level that it is very easy to forget that he is 36 years old.

However, while he defies that age with his conditioning and performances, he has without question started to need a bit more on-court maintenance.

That was the case in Paris as well. He overcame a stomach bug early in the tournament, and it came very close to costing him his place in the draw.

“I’ve been struggling the last couple of days with my stomach and I just didn’t feel myself at all,” said Djokovic after narrowly beating Tallon Griekspoor in the last 16.

“It’s hard to have a clear mind when you spent more time on the toilet seat than on the court the last three days.

“The energy levels were very low the last few days and I’m taking it day by day. Today is probably the worst day so I’m just hoping that tomorrow will be better, that the curve will start going in the right direction for me.”

He also suffered at other stages of the tournament too, with him needing treatment on a back injury after the second set of his semi-final win over Andrey Rublev.

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READ MORE: Novak Djokovic sets three new records in Paris, and chases three more in Turin

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