À 36 ans, Novak Djokovic continue d'écrire sa légende, l'histoire du tennis et a sans doute définitivement clos le débat concernant le GOAT, le plus grand joueur de tous les temps. Qualifié pour sa 36e finale en Grand Chelem à l'US Open 2023, le Serbe, en mission, a remporté ce dimanche son 24e titre à ce niveau, le 4e à Flushing Meadows après 2011, 2015 et 2018. Opposé au Russe Daniil Medvedev, le joueur qui l'avait privé du Grand Chelem calendaire en 2021, Nole s'est cette fois imposé en patron, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3, en 3h17 de jeu. Ce n'est pas tout. Ce lundi, il a retrouvé sa place de n°1 mondial au détriment de Carlos Alcaraz, sur qui il compte plus de 3 260 points d'avance. Désormais, il visera un 25e titre du Grand Chelem à l'Open d'Australie 2024 pour dépasser le record de Margaret Court. De quoi lui permettre de rester affamé.
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00:00 I wouldn't say probably it was easy.
00:02 Easier comparing to what exactly, we don't know because I don't think
00:09 too many players were in that position, but
00:13 Yeah, I guess people love comeback stories. I love them too. You know they motivate me
00:21 Obviously
00:25 Different circumstances Australia and here I haven't played any tournament in American soil for two years and the last time I was here
00:33 I lost in the finals against the same player I beat today and
00:35 You know I really did my best in the last 48 hours not to
00:42 allow
00:45 The importance of the moment and what's on the line get to my head because two years ago
00:50 That's what happened, and I underperformed and I wasn't able to be at my best, and I was outplayed so I learned my lesson and
00:57 My team my family knew that the last 24 hours don't don't don't touch me
01:04 Don't speak to me about you know the history or what's on the line. You know I I really did my best to
01:09 Keep things quite simple and stick to the routines that brought me to where I am and treat this match
01:15 Really as any other match where I just need to win
01:19 But of course you know lots of different thoughts going through your head
01:23 What if what if scenarios you know images that you have in your mind of you know?
01:29 What will look like if you win and?
01:31 And also if you lose you know so I'm trying to block those ones
01:36 But yeah, it was it was a big battle. I think within in the last 24 hours to really just
01:44 You know keep things
01:47 Simple and clear and prepare for this match in a right way, which I think I've done. I started match really well
01:54 I'll just keep talking because I guess these are questions are related to this
01:59 What probably made the difference in the key of the match was second set almost two hours
02:05 I don't think I've ever played a longer set in my life
02:08 Particularly not on this occasion against a top player like like the needle
02:15 Yeah, I think he was a probably a better player in the second set he deserved to win that set more than I did
02:21 somehow I managed to
02:24 turn things around in the tiebreak and
02:27 You know when it mattered I put one ball in the play more than he did and that was enough
02:34 And then you know after that
02:36 Set break I felt I regained my energy so the third set was I
02:42 Felt better than I did in the second honestly in the second
02:45 I felt like you know I was losing air on so many occasions in my legs as well
02:50 I just I don't recall being so exhausted after rallies really as I have been in the second set
02:57 But you know again, that's the occasion. That's when you play you know Daniel
03:03 Who is
03:07 You know one of the best players in the world in making you play always an extra shot
03:11 And he has a big serve he when he hits his spot
03:14 And he puts pressure on your service games and on and on it goes you know it's like a never-ending story really
03:21 And so I was very very relieved to win the second set and then you know I was just praying that he you know
03:28 He's gonna miss the last ball in the match point. I was not thinking about celebrations or anything like that. It was just about really
03:36 Winning the match and then hugging the my daughter and son my wife parents you know closest people
03:44 That were here as my family and my team that that's that was what I wanted to do first
03:50 You know to share these emotions with them
03:52 When you lost at Wimbledon some people wondered was this the start of a passing of the torch
03:59 How did that match affect your thought process and your performance sense?
04:05 Well I mean people like to talk obviously
04:07 So there's a lot of a lot of different opinions out there. I mean
04:12 It's not not my interest and neither business to really
04:16 Review what everyone talks about or thinks
04:21 Whether there is a passing of the torch or new gen next gen future gen or whatever you want to call it
04:27 happening or not happening in the sport, but I
04:32 You know I focus on what I need to do and how I get myself in a
04:35 Optimal state so that I could win the trophies the biggest trophies in our sport, so that's that's what I care about
04:42 And
04:45 It's great for our sport that I have very good rivalries with Alcaraz no doubt you know
04:50 He's such a refreshment for for tennis and great great player amazing player and great great guy as well, so I think
04:59 You know collectively we all want more attention and interest going towards the tennis so the more people get
05:06 Involved with tennis in whatever shape or form the better is for all of us
05:11 But look in the end of the day
05:14 My goal was always at the beginning of the season to try to win all Grand Slams
05:19 You know I would definitely sign right away the paper if somebody told me you would win three out of four and play window Wimbledon
05:27 finals
05:28 And there is a little regret that I didn't win that Wimbledon finals, but look
05:32 In the end of the day I you know I have so much more to be happier and content with then
05:39 then actually to regret something so
05:41 I'm gonna keep going and you know I feel good in my own body
05:47 I still feel I got the support of my environment of my team of my family
05:53 Grand Slams I have vocalized that in the last few years have been always the highest goal and the priority of mine in this in
06:00 The whole season I don't play as much so I try to
06:03 in terms of other tournaments, so I try to you know prioritize my preparation so that I can peek in slams and
06:09 yeah, these are these are the moments and these are the kind of emotions that I
06:14 Motivate myself with
06:19 Every single day when I'm not playing a tournament and yeah occasionally asking myself. Why do I need this?
06:27 Still at this stage after all I've done you know how long do I want to keep going I do have these questions in my
06:34 head of course
06:35 But knowing that I play at such a high level still and I win the biggest tournaments in a sport
06:42 Yeah, I don't want to get
06:45 Rid of this sport, or I don't want to leave this sport if I'm still at the top
06:50 You know if I'm still playing the way, I'm playing
06:52 Your childhood dream was winning a Wimbledon title you were at 24. What do you think that seven or eight year old version of you?
07:02 At that point that was definitely not the dream I think I was I was already shooting very far
07:13 As a seven year old dreaming of Wimbledon and number one in the world. I mean that was already
07:18 You know incredibly high ambition for someone
07:24 Coming from a family with no tennis tradition from for a boy in Serbia going through
07:30 sanctions embargo war torn country
07:33 And being part of the you know very expensive and unaffordable
07:39 Unaccessible sport so you know the odds were pretty much against me
07:43 And my family, but you know we did it
07:46 And I say we because I owe a lot to my to my family to my parents who sacrificed so much
07:52 You know for me to be here
07:54 And it's not a cliche really. I really mean it. I mean that it was
08:00 extremely extremely difficult with lots of adversities that they had to face and
08:06 Atrocities that when you think about it. You know the last thing you want to think about is you know
08:11 Supporting maybe your child in an expensive sport. It was it was more about bringing the bread to the to the kitchen table
08:17 You know at that point
08:19 so
08:21 Reflecting on on the whole journey. It's it's been an incredible incredible ride and that we all can be very proud of and
08:30 This kind of upbringing really and experiences
08:33 I had in childhood really allows me to appreciate this moment or any other moment that I
08:38 Experienced big moments in you know in my career in the history of this sport
08:41 and I
08:45 Wasn't at that point as I said dreaming of making that kind of history
08:49 Because it seemed to be really far off
08:53 far far away, sorry
08:56 But yeah, but maybe three four years ago. I I started to believe that
09:01 you know I have a pretty good shot pretty good chance and
09:05 Yeah