AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 24, 2026

Novak Djokovic

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/B. van de Zandschulp

6-3, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Welcome, Novak. First off, how were you feeling at the end of the last match?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, good. It was great to win in straight sets. It was really a tough third set. He was playing really well, aggressive.

It's a great test for me. I'm glad to, yeah, overcome this challenge in straight sets, particularly winning that third was I think was mentally important for me moving forward.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Just a quick one on Stan. He played his last match at the Australian Open. Just wondering if you had any sort of thoughts on your rivalry with him at the Australian Open and sort of how he's played this month.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Proud to call him a friend and a rival and someone that definitely has inspired me. I mean, no doubt with his longevity, with commitment to the game. He's so passionate about it.

Just seeing him battle it out almost over four hours last match he played, the second round, the way he turned it around, it's a testament to his career and what, you know, he brought to the court. His legacy will definitely stay and live with many different younger generations that look up to him.

He's a great champion on and off the court. Very likeable guy. He did everything the right way, and he deserved every applause he had this tournament. I mean, that's a question for him, but I think it's been a great farewell Australian Open for him with the crowd support and everything that has happened on the court, the way he has played, and particularly that second-round match.

Yeah, when he's gone, tennis is going to lose a great player and a great person.

Q. You came into the sport at the tail end of really still the American era of dominance in men's tennis, and then Europe sort of became the standard bearer for that. I'm wondering, looking back historically to what extent you feel like that shift was shaped by differences in coaching methods or player development systems or tennis culture in the United States or maybe by broader features in American culture.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Are you referring to what caused the shift from the men's American dominance in tennis to non- dominance for the last 20 years or so?

Q. Yeah.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I'm not really sure how to answer that. I mean, obviously I'm not, you know, familiar with the system of the USTA and how it's rolled out across America and how the coaches are, you know, working and approaching the, I guess, systematic development of players.

I don't think that U.S. is lacking any tournaments in any category, for that matter. I think you have obviously US Open. Any country that has a Grand Slam has a biggest budget in the sport, so it's one of the richest federations. I think the support was always there.

I don't know. It could be different factors, you know. Could be some of the things that you mentioned with the way the game evolved, and then maybe there was a period where the American players weren't able to adapt as good as maybe Europeans in the last couple decades. You could argue that's one of the things.

But, look, I think eventually -- I mean, you have Ben Shelton now and some young guys. I think one of them playing now, Quinn, that is tall, big serve, big game. They're all knocking on the door there. I don't think you're lacking players.

It's just maybe at the moment you don't have someone that would take it to the next step and play for Grand Slams and be a top player of the world, but that could change very quickly, because the woman's tennis is doing very well currently with American players.

I think that there is not too big of reason for concern. I'm sure with incredible talent, but also, the amount of coaches that are there, also international coaches that live in States and are contributing to American players and development of the American tennis system, eventually you're going to have big champions I think in the near future.

Yeah, it could be all these things, but I think it's not a big issue. It's just a matter of time.

Q. I just wonder about your match today, late in the second set you hit a loose ball away, which came quite close to hitting the ball kid kneeling at the net. Do you feel fortunate to still be in the tournament?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I apologized for that. That was not necessary and in the heat of the moment. Yeah, I was lucky there, and I'm sorry for causing any distress to the ball kid or anybody.

Q. I have a question about your tournament here two years ago. When you lost to Sinner in the semifinals, afterwards you said you were shocked with your level. Someone asked you if it was because of age.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Can you go again, please? Two years ago when I lost to Sinner, I said what?

Q. You said you were shocked with your level, and someone asked you, is it age? You said you didn't know, but you hoped not. I'm wondering, with two years of hindsight, was it?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: A lot has happened in the last two years, to be honest. I can't recall me saying that, but if you say so, I mean, yeah, I was probably, if I can recall well, I was quite flat on the court, you know. First couple sets were quite easy, going his way.

Yeah, I was probably just shocked or surprised with the way I felt on the court in a way I wasn't able to keep up with him in the semis of my favorite tournament, you know. But, yeah, I guess that's all can I say in reference to that particular match.

Age-wise, look, I think that on a given day when I'm feeling good physically and mentally, you know, when I'm playing well, I can challenge anybody, and I still believe I can beat all of them. If that's not the case, I wouldn't be here. That's rest assured, I wouldn't be here, for sure.

But I know as well that in case I get to face Sinner, that would be semifinals. The deeper in the tournament, obviously the more energy I spend, and I don't know how my body is going to react. The last year three out of four slams it wasn't great. Yeah, I didn't feel great playing them, him and Alcaraz in the later stages, but hopefully that can change.

I think there is probably best chance here, because it's beginning of the season, and my body is still fresher than what it would be maybe other parts of the season.

Q. Does it make you more stressful playing these early-round matches? If you do go up a set, that's probably going to feed into that energy equation.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I try honestly not thinking about managing the energy on the court in terms of, you know, being economic or saving something for the later rounds, because it's just I don't feel that's the right mindset.

I think it's important to get the most out of yourself on the given day to win against the opponent on that day. I try to do it as efficiently as possible, and I have won nine out of nine sets so far, so I couldn't ask for more.

Today I had a really good test. He was playing aggressive and well, and I think I was moving great. There's always something that is happening with the body, but I think generally I feel as good as I have felt in a while.

I cannot predict the future. I don't know how things are going to unfold from this day onwards, but I'm doing everything I can. I haven't practiced yesterday, or between first, second round I had two days. One day I didn't practice. The second I did. Then now I didn't practice in between now the second and third round, because I'm obviously trying to be strategic, talking with my team to what's more important, you know.

I'm hitting the ball well. I trained hard for last couple months, and everything is going okay on the court. So it's more important to save energy, right, not stress my body out unnecessarily on the training or whatever it is.

So, you know, every single day when I wake up, we have to evaluate what's the right thing to do on that day, and good thing about slams again is that day between, right? But it's best-of-five, and of course because it's a Grand Slam emotionally, there is more tension, more stress, of course, all these aspects that are factors that are in play, but it's not something I'm not used to or not familiar with.

So I'm happy to be where I am, you know, (smiling), and hoping for the best moving forward.