Djokovic: 'Roger Federer, Nadal and me have the experience of knowing...'

The umpteenth victory of Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open has reopened the debate on the inferiority of the Next Gen compared to the three sacred monsters. Dominic Thiem won the US Open last year, while Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev match the last three champions of the Nitto ATP Finals. The Big 3 (Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal) have however reiterated that they are the best in the most important stages, having the ability to raise their level in the decisive moments. The world number 1 put out an exceptional performance in the last act against Medvedev, who failed to stem the Serbian's superiority despite starting with bookmakers' favorites. Thanks to the triumphal ride in Melbourne Park, the 33-year-old from Belgrade is set to break Roger Federer's record by weeks at the top of the ATP rankings. During the post-match press conference, the 18-time Grand Slam champion illustrated how the experience allows the three sacred monsters to turn even the most complicated situations in their favor.

Djokovic on the Next Gens

"Well, they have definitely the quality to reach the heights of Major tournament trophies," Novak Djokovic said. "I mean, they've proven that. Dominic Thiem has won it in US Open. I think just Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and myself have managed to always play our best tennis at Slams." While Dominic Thiem won the 2020 US Open last year, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev have claimed the last three editions of the Nitto ATP Finals. But Novak Djokovic and his 'Big 3' peers are still head and shoulders above the rest at the Slams, which the Serb claimed is largely because of their experience. "Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and myself have the experience of knowing what to do, how we can win matches in best-of-five on different surfaces," Djokovic said. "I think that's made it more challenging for guys that are in the next generation, up-and-coming." The 18-time Grand Slam winner also mentioned that it was not like he didn’t care about the statements at all and said that they affected him personally. “Of course, I cannot say I don’t care about it or whatever. Of course, it does. I have to be honest,” added the World No.1 player. Djokovic highlighted that he had developed a thick skin over time to deal with all the criticism. “But I think I’ve developed a thick skin over the years to just dodge those things and focus on what matters to me the most,” concluded Djoker.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3qPLtbf