Earlier today Novak Djokovic collected his seventh career Paris Masters title with a straight-set win over Grigor Dimitrov.
While that may seen like just another title at just another event, consider his main rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal combined to win this same title just once! Nadal never won it, but of course won the “other” Paris tennis event 14 times.
Federer won the title once in 2011 the only time he made the final beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Nadal made the final also once, in his 2007 debut falling to David Nalbandian.
Djokovic explained how he tries to be in top form even at the end of the season.
“My goal is to end up the season on the high note, on the highest note possible,” Djokovic said of his motivation. “The players that are not fighting for the World Tour Finals like Grigor, they have more motivation to end up this last tournament of the season on a high note, but you also have players who are very tired, and there are also players who are fighting who have a ticket for Turin.
“So I’m one of the players who are very motivated to end up the season on a high note. With all of the emotion and the energy from the public this week in Paris, every day I find the motivation to play my best tennis in Paris, in Roland Garros or here in Bercy.
“I don’t know if that is the most accurate explanation for you, but I’m very motivated, may it be the beginning of the year and we can see it with the outcome I had in Australia, but also I’m very motivated at the end of the year with Bercy here, and you can see the outcome here. So that’s the reason.”
Djokovic, though, is tied with Federer with the most ATP Finals titles at six, a mark he will try to break a week from today in Turin along with finishing No. 1 an 8th time.
“Now it’s going to be recovery time definitely next three, four days, to really leave the racquet aside and just spend time with the family and recharge, and then go to Torino, where every match is going to be like finals of a big tournament, because you play a top-8 player,” Djokovic said of his Turin title defense.
“I’m going there with good feelings, with a lot of confidence. You know, I haven’t lost a match since Wimbledon final, so I’m really excited to hopefully finish off the season on a high.”
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chrisford1 Says:
Roger often preferred to have Basel be his last reg season stop. As for Rafa, he tried, but many fans don’t know but over his career, indoors is mental kryptonite for Nadal.
November 5th, 2023 at 10:22 pm