Novak Djokovic Interview - French Open, May 30

Q. Obviously it's an awful disappointment for you. What happened? What are your thoughts now?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, I'm obviously disappointed a lotwith the way I was performing today. More or less that I, you know, lost the match. What is disappointing was that I couldn'tfind the rhythm throughout the whole match.

This is what I wasalways managing to do. You know, that's why I'm in the top of the men's gamefor a while now. But, you know, I wastrying not to be frustrated with a lot of unforced errors. Tried to be positive and just wait for thechances.

He didn't give me a lot of chances. But yet again, I didn't work for thosechances. This is the problem. I played too passive, and he played reallysolid from all the strokes. Socongratulations to him, of course.

He's been ‑‑ he was playing a goodmatch. But again, next year.

Q. Ithink you played him once before at Indian Wells, and you defeated him. Was that the same player you were playingtoday? I mean, he was mixing well hisshots, and he had the upper hand in the rallies. Do you think he played the match of his life?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, that's a question for him. He's going to answer if he played the matchof his life. Certainly, he played reallywell. You have to give him credit forplaying tactically really smart and really good. Unfortunately, I had no solutions.

Q. Is your sense of frustration perhaps compounded by the fact that you hadsuch a good clay court season? You'veplayed some superb matches in Europe. Does that kind of mount the frustrationyou're feeling at the moment? Coming inhere you were thinking you had the best chance of winning it.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, but again, the good clay court season,very successful clay court season this year, only can give me a lot ofconfidence to try to continue the same run. That's what I felt. First twomatches were going quite well, and then I felt good before this match. Suddenly on the court it was a differentstory.

I can't really explainwhy. Physically I felt good, but it'sjust ‑‑ it's just a bad day at the office, how they say it.

What can you do? This is sport.

Q. Perhapstoo much pressure, that can explain?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, I mean, pressure is there. The pressure is always there. If you're, you know, for a while, third orfourth player in the world, top of the men's tennis for a couple of years, ofcourse you always have expectation and pressure. This is a part of your life.

But I was alwaysdealing with the pressure in some way, quite, you know, quite good, and, youknow, quite consistent and having really good results in all the Grand SlamsI've played, except Wimbledon last year.

You know, as I was saying before the eventstarted, the opening rounds are very dangerous because the players are a bitlower ranked and they have nothing to lose. Philipp is a clay court specialist, and he went out in a five‑set matchand played incredibly well today.

Q. Youhad a good play three days in a row. Doyou think it affected your play today?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No, no.

Q. Was his serve extremely difficult to control?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it was my movement on the return thatwas difficult to control, to be honest. I wasn't moving toward and just trying, move left, right, back, forth,you know, trying to find the comfort zone. Didn't really work out. My legswere really stuck.

So if you have noexplosivity [sic] and your legs are not dynamic enough on this surface, youhave not a lot of chances if the guy plays such a high level as he playedtoday.

Q. You talked about Wimbledon lastyear. You were in the final in Queen's,and then you lost second round, I guess. This year here you're maybe one of the two top favorites, and then againit's a bad day. How can you compare bothdisappointments and matches?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's a different surface, you know. Different Grand Slams. But suddenly I haven't played in the lastthree Grand Slams the way I wanted, and I don't know...

I will try to changesome things for Wimbledon this year. Last year was really the worst match I'veplayed on that surface. I mean, I lostto Marat who later reached semifinals. Of course, he was playing really well in Wimbledonlast year.

I think I have a quite good game, but,again, I cannot allow myself to have such a bad performance as I hadtoday. I cannot allow myself to be thatdefensive. This is not me. This is not my game.

Q. Inthe third set, you were leading 3‑2. Youseemed to come back. At the end of thefifth game you were looking at the sky with your arms wide open. Were you kind of praying for a miracle foryour shots and game to come back?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I couldn't believe I made a forehand winnerafter three sets. (laughter.) That'swhy.

Q. You said you had difficulty moving well. Your feet were stuck. Do you havean explanation for that? Is it more aphysical reason for that, or is it more like you were tight or...

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I didn't find the rhythm. That's all. It was not physically anything. Ithink it was more mentally just to find that zone, but I couldn't.

Q. Nothing that was hurting?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: No.

Q. Today on the court you looked not to have the energy to fight on everypoint. Are you mentally exhausted afterthe season, middle of the season?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, I've played a lot, so mentallyI'm a little bit exhausted, yes. Butstill, that's not an explanation for my loss today. That's not excuse, for sure.

I mean, it's a GrandSlam. Look, you know, I'm one of thefavorites to get far in the tournament. This cannot happen. Of course,it's all my fault, and I accept the responsibility.

Q. Is there any chance at all that having a new fitness trainer and doingsome new things off the court, are you overtrained? Is there any possibility that just that changehas made a difference?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I don't think so. I really don't think so. I'm going to analyze all the things I'vedone, but I don't know.

I mean, to be honest, Ithink it was just me and my head today. I don't want to blame anybody else.

Q. The strength and depth of the men's game now is probably as good as it'sbeen ever. How hard is it to sustainyour level all the time against the quality of players that you're facing weekin and week out?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it is, you know. And it's really hard as well to keep up withthe guys, top five guys who are reaching at least quarters or semis of eachevent they play.

It's a really strongcompetition, but that's the way it is. It's a big challenge for all of us, obviously. I've been playing for three, four years onthis level.

I mean, okay, I took this loss quite badlyand I'm disappointed. But, again, I haveto try to focus for continuation of the season, and I hope for some goodresults on the grass courts.