ROLAND GARROS

June 2, 2025

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/C. Norrie

6-2, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Novak, well done. Was today your best match so far at Roland Garros?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't know. I mean, it was one of the best. Maybe not "the" best. In terms of how I was striking the ball, I think I played solid. I can always expect myself to play better.

But I think, you know, considering the opponent's form, as well, and the last 16 round and the occasion, I think was a very good match. I mean, from my side, a very solid performance.

A straight-set win again. I'm pleased with the way things are going. Obviously matches only get tougher. I look forward to the next challenge.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Asking about your next opponent, Sascha, he's one of several younger players. I guess a lot of people are younger than you now. One of several...

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: He's 10 years younger. He calls himself a veteran of the game. What should I call myself, then?

Q. Right. He's a rookie compared to you. He's one of many younger players who talk about you helping them when they were younger. Would you have done that if you knew you were still going to be playing them at this point and helping them along? What drove you to give this assistance to this younger generation you're still battling against?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I don't think that's something special. I just see it as something that I feel it's normal for me. Like, that's something that I always wanted to do, like, if one day I would, you know, reach certain heights in the sport, and then obviously convey that, transfer that to a new generations and help new players be even better, you know.

So I always had that kind of attitude, because when I was younger, I was looking for that from the players that I was looking up to. So, you know, some were more daring or caring to share, and some not. But I do understand that at this level, particularly when you are, you know, at the top of the game with someone, even though you had a great relationship and you still maintained that great relationship, but maybe you're not sharing as much as you used to.

That kind of was the case with Medvedev and Tsitsipas when they were coming up. And Zverev when they were really, really young and kind of breaking through, it was more exchanges maybe on some things, whether it was, I don't know, from just strokes or strings they use or the way you train or recover, stuff like this. Then when they get to top 10, top 5 in the world, it's a different dynamic. It's kind of normal to expect that.

But nevertheless, you know, whether that's for Mensik or whoever it is for, I tell everyone that I'm available if they need a call about anything, because I feel like that's what I owe to the game. Not just to them but to the game of tennis. I feel like that's something is normal for me. In the end of the day, what's the value of the knowledge or experience that you have if you don't transfer it to someone who is coming up?

Q. Your serve's a huge part of your game, always has been. I think I'm right in saying you've won the toss three times out of four here and you served every time. Is your instinct to always serve? What goes through your head when you make that decision?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's an interesting question. Because at the beginning of my career, even though I really liked my chances when I'm serving, but I was relying more on the return, so I would start returning. I would always choose the toss, if I get the coin toss, I would choose return.

But the last, I don't know, whatever, the last ten years I would be only choosing to serve. I just feel, I don't know, I just feel that sets a tone in some way.

You also send a message to your opponent like, hey, I'm not afraid to start serving, you know, start the match with this kind of a right statement. Sometimes I start slow, and I lose my first service games, and then you start to question your decision-making.

But no, I still, regardless of that, I still feel like it's important. It's important for your own confidence and to send the message to your opponent, as well.

Of course, it's all different. I know Nadal, for example, would always choose to receive. So we're all different, I guess. It depends also on the surface I think a little bit. When I played with Rafa on clay, he would choose to receive, but on the other surfaces, quicker, then he would maybe vary between the choices.

Q. A question unrelated to today's match, it's about fake news. Top athletes are often victims of fake news. There was a story that went viral in many countries, including Brazil. This story says you help out financially the janitor of your childhood school. I don't know if you are aware of this story. Some people say it's fake news. Some people say it's AI. Some people say it's authentic. I would like to know if it's true. How do you deal with fake news? Do you try to ignore it or try to do something about them?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Okay, there is quite a few questions there in one question.

I'll answer first the fake news. It's I guess the part of the media world we're living in today. We are more, I guess, prone to see that happening in the last, whatever, 15 years with the development of the social media and kind of -- it almost feels like whoever writes the news first gets the most credit or views, rather than checking for the credibility of the source.

Then obviously there is always a risk that if you haven't checked and you're just trying to rush to be the first one, then that it's fake.

But I don't want to get too much into the story of the janitor. The only thing I can say is that, yes, I have been financially helping my school, but that's the only thing. I'm not going to go into who personally and what or how much, stuff like that. I feel like it's not the place, or there is no reason to do that.

But I try to support my school, absolutely, you know, throughout my entire career.

Q. You have spoken a lot about nutrition and that side of things. I just wondered, over the last few years, how that's evolved. Has that changed at all as your body has changed, or is it pretty consistent with what it was in terms of what you eat, what you drink, that sort of thing?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It varies. There are certain things that I think stay the same when it comes to, you know, I guess fundamentals of the quality sleep, for example.

You know, some of the calming or breathing techniques that I use. Obviously the ice baths and cold immersions and cryo chambers, et cetera. Something I have been using are Hyperbaric chambers for a long time.

But, you know, I don't have the access everywhere to everything that I would ideally want to, so I have to then adjust myself. In some tournaments there is this, and the others there is something else.

But essentially, when it comes to food, yeah, I'm always basically looking and always curious and looking for the next super food or the next thing that can maybe improve my, yeah, recovery or whatever it is or the endurance or the strength or whatever it is, you know.

So I'm always open-minded for these things. Very curious, always researching wellness space and well-being spaces. My greatest passion other than sport.

So, you know, I look to also grow my presence and my brand in that area and starting some on my own some of my startups and businesses. That's also exciting, you know, in the nutritional space, particularly in supplements.

It's a saturated market. I mean, it's so many supplements. It's which one to take? It's quite hard because we are all different, but the science is improving so there is always something that you can kind of use as evidence to really going to that area.

So I'm always really keen on finding out what's the next thing. You know, there are some things that are kind of set in stone, even when it comes to food, that are important to follow, because of the way the biology works, but then there is also new scientific research and study that comes out with some molecules or some ingredients that are greatly of a help to an athlete or whoever.

As athletes, we are dependent on our bodies and how well we recover or prepare ourselves, particularly in individual sport. So that's why I think it's very interesting for anyone that is not an athlete, to look at athletes and how they, you know, conduct themself in preparation and food, sleep, what's their regime. I think that you can always take something that can be very useful for your life.

Q. You said it was very difficult to reach the hotel overnight. Can you tell us a bit more about this trip?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I want to thank the chief of security, who is not here, but he was amazing with his team. At one point, it was quite -- people were quite tense here, I must say, for our return to the hotel.

They were not suggesting us at one point to go back at all, to maybe find a place to sleep somewhere around here for a night, because at that point it was already past midnight and some gas bombs and cars under fire and stuff happening on the street that was really dangerous.

So understandably, and actually, everything around our hotel, which is close to Arc de Triomphe. So, yeah, in the end we talked. We waited for a bit, and then we decided to go. Then it was fine. In the end we reached the hotel all good, but it was quite noisy with a lot of things happening outside of the hotel.

You know, of course, it's interesting in some way to look from your window what's happening. At some point it was getting out of hand, but it's understandable that people are so excited.

You know, first-time Champions League winners for this city. It's one of the most important cities in the world. So, yeah, they are all celebrating. They still go. It's going to be several days, I'm sure, of celebration.