THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 28, 2025

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Novak, happy to be back at Wimbledon?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes. Thank you for the formality because we were quite informal.

THE MODERATOR: I try (smiling).

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's great to be back. I love Wimbledon. I've always loved it. Always dreamt of playing the Centre Court and winning it.

I think in the last six editions, I had six finals. Been for one reason or several reasons playing very well in Wimbledon, maybe most consistently successful Grand Slam for me in the last 10 years.

It's definitely connected to that emotional and mental relationship that I have with Wimbledon since the earliest stages of my tennis career where, as I said, I always dreamed of winning it.

When I come here, I feel extra inspired to deliver the best tennis. We all know the tradition and the heritage and the culture of this wonderful tournament that has sustained that for so many years.

It's so impressive every single time you walk into this premises. You feel that beautiful tradition.

Q. Obviously Aryna and Coco, the final, got a lot of attention, what she said after. Do we sometimes underestimate how hard it is for players losing an incredibly tough match, to come out and talk, be gracious and everything like that? You've always done it incredibly well. Sometimes players who you've beaten haven't been gracious to you. How tough is it? Should we be more understanding with that?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Thank you. Thank you for bringing that up.

I would agree with you. We all in the end of the day are human beings that have difficult emotions that they have to handle right after they lost a big match. Grand Slam finals, for example, as she did against Coco.

Things happen when you're so - how can I say - heightened with emotions, your blood is running hot. Not always easy to suppress that and put - how can I say - diplomacy ahead, even though I feel like it's important to pay the respect and acknowledge the success of your opponent that just beat you.

I saw what she said and everything. I think, well, in the end she clarified it. Look, it happens. Maybe it came out in a wrong way, but she didn't mean to disrespect Coco.

Actually most of the times I had in Grand Slam finals with the opponents in the last 20 years, the super majority of the times it was always quite respectful both ways when I would win or lose for my opponent.

I think tennis really stands out as a very good example of that comparing to other sports. I just actually found out, because I never thought about it, that tennis is the only sport where you have a finalist or runner-up staying for the closing ceremony and getting a chance to say something, which is interesting when you think about it. It just talks a lot about the sportsmanship.

I also like it because it gives you an opportunity as a finalist to pay the respect to your opponent, but also acknowledge everyone involved in the tournament, because there is thousands of people, many volunteers, that come and love Wimbledon, for example, where we are, and the sport of tennis and make it all possible for you to get to the final stages. I think it's important always to acknowledge everyone involved.

Is it easy? Is it really flowing and natural when you talk about it? No, absolutely not. You learn how to, I guess, develop this mechanism of how to put aside and suppress those emotions, because it's more important to pay the respect. It's more important to really express the graciousness and gratitude in terms of being part of the tournament.

Then when you go to the locker room, obviously you have to let the steam off and kind of filter these emotions in whatever shape or form. It does depend on a person. With someone it stays only a few hours, a day. Someone it stays a long time after tough losses like that.

I mean, if you see Sinner and Alcaraz, five and a half hours, and Sinner could be very bitter after dropping three match points and dropping that match. But he was gracious in his speech and came back and played a good tournament a week after. He's here. He's moving on.

I think it sends the right message also. The rivalry and the way they respect each other, I think it's beautiful to see.

Q. You think this Wimbledon is your best chance to win the 25th? Could it be your last dance here?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Whether it could be my last dance, I'm not sure, as I'm not sure about Roland Garros or any other slam that I play next.

My wish is to play for several more years. I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level. That's the goal, but you never know at this stage.

And yes, I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance because of the results I had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon, just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to, yeah, perform the best tennis at the highest level.

Q. You were in Greece a couple of weeks ago. You had dinner the Prime Minister. There were reports that you saw schools, houses. Are you moving to Athens?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Not yet. There are a lot of reports (smiling). I was there with my wife because I haven't been to Greece in years. We met the Prime Minister, we met with few people we know. It was more of a holiday for us. We were kind of going around. The school we visited was related to our foundation.

Obviously there's a lot of speculation, but no, at the moment not. Who knows what future...

Q. Could happen?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, it could happen.

Q. You spent many years chasing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. They have retired. You took over as the dominant player, the hunted player.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Right.

Q. Now you're in a position where there are two young guys that are seeded 1 and 2. I guess you're hunting again. Is that how you feel right now or do you feel, given your record, that maybe you're still...

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: In a sense you're always hunting because you're always going for the titles - in my also privileged position - the records and more history.

I do feel that I'm always in that position of going for something with attitude of trying to win rather than trying to defend. Even though I have been many times in my career in that position whether it's the defending champion or being No. 1 in the world, you feel slightly different because I feel everyone wants your position and stuff.

I would say it's slightly different for me now in terms of I don't chase the rankings anymore in that regard. I'm trying to play the best tennis in Grand Slams and trying to win Grand Slams. That hasn't changed. It still stays the same.

Even though my level of tennis has been going quite up and down and fluctuating much more than it was the case for the most part of my career, if you see the last year and a half, too, I've been kind of volatile with my results. Grand Slams stays quite consistent.

In terms of results, I think I'm, I don't know... Except US Open last year, was playing quarters or semifinals. That's good. That's a good sign because that's exactly what I want. These tournaments give me the biggest drive still.

This year I played two semifinals. Unfortunately in Australia I had to retire. In Roland Garros I was outplayed by Sinner. I think I still played a decent level of tennis that showed me that I can still play on a very high level at the later stages.

That's what is also giving me an extra, yeah, I guess motivation to keep going. Obviously clay court, yeah, probably slightly less chances to win comparing to grass.

Let's see. I like the way I feel right now physically. Tennis-wise I've been playing good on the practice sessions. Obviously completely different when you start a tournament.

But yeah, I'll try to have a very good tournament and go as far as I can.

Q. We learned yesterday that Jannik Sinner changed two members of his team, and one of them was also your athletic trainer.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Both of them were with me, yeah.

Q. What are your thoughts about that? Also you have changed different members of your team recently. How difficult is to find the right person for big players like you and Jannik?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it's quite relative the right person, definition of the right person for a certain player is. We all different. We all have different physical constitution or mentally we're I guess used to certain way of working. Some people are a little bit more flexible mentally to maybe go out and be open-minded and learn new things and change the way they grew up, for example, of how to do fitness or how to play tennis. Some people like to keep working with people that are aligned with their style of tennis, with their physical work and stuff like this. There's so many different differences with players.

I did work with Marco and Uli, and I think they are phenomenal professionals that both have contributed also a lot to me, to my team, to my success.

I don't know what the reasons are for the split with Jannik. It came as a surprise to me as well because I think Jannik's game and body really has improved so much in the last year, year and a half. They've been an integral part of that team. I don't know, to be honest.

But changes happen. It doesn't necessarily only relate to your professional relationship. It could be something private. It could be many different factors that are deciding whether you want to stay working with somebody or not.

But as somebody that also has made changes, I understand that sometimes you just are not aligned anymore in whatever of these - how can I say - avenues of thinking or whatever. Then you just split. Maybe you're looking for something new, something different, some fresh.

It just depends. Somebody likes to, like, be comfortable. When you have tennis or fitness coaches or physios that have been with you there for a long time, like I have, half my team has been with me for very long time, it also gives you emotional stability. It gives you a sense of comfort, security, and also strength in that record.

So I guess it's hard to speak in a general terms because we all different.