The word Novak Djokovic used to describe the opening set of his victory against Rinky Hijikata at the Miami Open suggests he feels his best tennis is within touching distance.
Djokovic ended his three-match losing streak with a 6-0, 7-6[1] victory against an opponent who showed impressive resolve after he was blown away by a masterclass from the Serbian in his first appearance at the Miami Open since 2019.
After an indifferent start to 2025, this was an important win for Djokovic and when asked by the Tennis Channel to describe his performance, he was clearly happy with his levels.
“It was flawless for a set and a half, to be honest,” declared Djokovic. “When we changed the ball after seven games, it was a strange feeling because there was quite a big difference in the way the ball bounced.
“He started making more first serves, he was mixing it up, serving and volleying, being aggressive on the backhand side.
“I struggled to break his serve, but I had a great serving performance overall and managed to find a way to win.”
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Djokovic also reflected on his defeats against Matteo Berrettini in Doha and his shock loss against Botic van de Zandschulp in Indian Wells, as he offered up a much more upbeat account of his form as he aims to win a sixth title in Miami.
“After a mini-crisis of not playing my best in Doha and Indian Wells, I really wanted to start off well at the Miami Open,” he continued.
“I’ve had two weeks since that defeat against van de Zandschulp and I really worked hard. Put in a lot of hours on the coach with Andy [coach Murray] and I felt really good out there.”
Djokovic openly admits he has been struggling for motivation in tournaments outside of the four Grand Slams, with finding the levels of performance he believes he can still produce a few weeks before his 38th birthday driving him on.
“If we are going to boil it down to two things that I need to do now, staying healthy is important and the body is not the same as it once was. So I have to put in more time to take care of it,” he added.
“Then also taking care of my psychological state and really trying to get up in the morning and feel motivated to keep going.
“If I play like I did [against Hijikata], then I feel joy on the court, regardless of where I am. I want to keep going for as long as I have that feeling.
“So long as I have the feeling that I can compete with the guys at the highest level, I’ll keep going. That feeling is not going to be there every time, but as long as I feel it, I have the support of the people closest to me to carry on playing.”
Djokovic’s upbeat tone confirms he is relishing his time in Miami and so long as this great champion has a smile on his face, he will be a threat to anyone he faces on court.
The post Novak Djokovic reveals how he still gets joy from tennis in compelling interview appeared first on Tennis365.
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