ROLEX SHANGHAI MASTERS

October 9, 2025

Novak Djokovic

Mixed Zone

N. DJOKOVIC/Z. Bergs

6-3, 7-5

Q. How do you think about the championship, just two wins away?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it might like easy for you, but I assure you it wasn't easy. No win is easy at this level. Zizou Bergs has been playing some terrific tennis this tournament. I think it would be disrespectful towards him to say it was easy. It was a tough-earned victory in two sets.

My leg was good. There's always something happening with the body pretty much every match that I play right now. There's some other issues that I'm trying to address day by day, and hopefully it's going to get better as the tournament progresses.

I have a day off to my semifinal, so that's really good. Yeah, I'm going to come back with, of course, the right attitude and intention to win.

Q. You've been in sports for some years so far. You're the greatest one. You won all the major tournaments in this world. So my question is whether there is something left in sports that still astonishes you and still makes you stunned, I don't know, let's call it like your sport peak, in the sport world.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: (Laughing). That would be Wimbledon center court. Just walking out on the Wimbledon center court is unlike any court out there. I'm not the only one. I know there is probably the majority of the tennis players dreaming of playing in Wimbledon, winning in Wimbledon.

So I've been blessed to win quite a few times in that tournament. And every single time I walk out from the locker room, and on the way to the center court, going through that members area, and just seeing the history lane with all the pictures and all the trophies, and how gracious and sophisticated everybody is in Wimbledon, it's just a different feeling. I think that really gives me goose bumps.

And honestly, not just because we are here, but walking out here in China, the center court, for me every single match really gives me incredible emotions and sensations because of so much support that I've been getting. So I did not expect that, that much. I know that people appreciate and respect the achievements I had in the last 20-plus years, but it's been better and better every single year. I've been trying to return the love with some good tennis, and hopefully they have been enjoying it.

Q. 10 semifinals here in 11 appearances, pretty impressive. Talk about just how successful you've been here over the years.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah. Well, it's no secret I love playing in China. I just mentioned the support of the crowd definitely makes you feel comfortable, gives you wind in your sails. When you're on the court feeling down they lift you up. So that's what's happening basically every single match the last couple matches for me here.

I've been struggling quite a bit with energy levels. And just every opportunity that I get, the crowd feels it, and they stand behind me. And then, you know, I can hear that noise and that really, that energy drives me. I'm enjoying myself. As much as I'm suffering, at the same time I'm enjoying to play in front of them.

Q. How can you describe the rally in 30-All in second set? Because it was amazing to have this type of rally.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I prefer shorter rallies, to be honest. Especially at those stages of the match. But, yeah, I mean, I was 30-Love. I dropped my serve. I was serving for the match. He was 30-Love up, managed to come to 30-All. Then, I don't know, I just managed to read his serve.

And look, it's quite hard, I think every player will tell you, it's very difficult to smash here. Because once you send the ball really high up in the sky it's like it just goes into this dark spot, and it's really hard to see when you play at night. I knew that, so I just tried to make him, he actually missed an overhead break point at 3-2 first set. So I felt like, you know, maybe he's not feeling very confident in the overhead.

But then the last one that I kind of made, return from the body, I don't know I did it, to be honest. I just tried to give myself a chance to stay in the point. Yeah, that was maybe the turning point of the match.

Q. Valentin Vacherot, he's somewhat of an unknown. What's your sort of read on him, what will you be trying to do?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I've known him for last couple of years. Obviously he's ranked before this tournament 200-plus. He's been around. He's playing for Monaco, which is a really great success, the biggest historical success for Monaco. It's amazing. So everyone is excited there. We know we have one of the nicest and biggest tournaments in our sport there in Monaco.

So I'm glad for him, for his team. Benjamin Balleret is someone I've known for many years from Monaco, because being based there for 15 years, training at the Monte-Carlo Country Club.

He's been improving a lot. We always knew that he's got a great potential, with a big serve, a big game, he's a big guy.

He kind of plays quite similar to Rinderknech, you know. And I see that they're quite close. The serve particularly reminds me of Arthur as well. So it's great to see that chemistry between them, that they're supporting each other. Arthur was there the whole match. Yeah, historic success for him and, yeah, I'm looking forward to play him. Hopefully I can get a win.