Djokovic: “These types of matches are the biggest motivation for me to continue competing”

The Serbian Novak Djokoviceleventh in the world, stated this Sunday that matches like the one that brought him the victory against the German Alexander Zverev in Beijing They constitute his “greatest motivation” to continue competing at 39 years old and to be able to face the best players in the world.

“These types of matches are the greatest motivation for me to continue competing and trying hard,” declared in the press conference after his victory by 4-6, 6-4 and 6-4, which gave him access to the semi-finals of the China Open.

The six-time champion added his 32nd victory without defeats in the tournament and surpassed the best start of a player in a competition in the Open era, until now shared with the Spaniard Rafa Nadal and his 31 initial wins at Roland Garros.

Djokovic ranked the match among his two best performances of the season, along with his match against Italian Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semifinals, and described Zverev as “probably the best player in the world right now.”

The German, this year’s champion of Roland Garros and the United States Open and the tournament’s top seed, forced him to take risks to counteract the pressure of his serve.

“When opportunities appear, which are very scarce, you have to take advantage of them,” explained the Serbian, who broke his opponent’s serve in the last game of the second and third sets.

The combination of his serve and the subsequent first hit stood out, as well as his intention to attack short balls, vary the game and go up to the net.

“It was high-risk tennis at timesbut I had to do it; Otherwise, it would have been very difficult to win,” he said.

After two consecutive comebacks, against the Chinese Bu Yunchaokete (n.104) and Zverev, he celebrated feeling physically well, a circumstance that, as he explained, had not been common for much of the year.

The calendar barely allows him to enjoy the victory. This Monday he will face the Russian Daniil Medvedev (no. 6), champion last week in Hangzhou, for a place in the final on the hard court in Beijing.

“I wish I had one more day of rest to enjoy the victory, but there is no time,” he stated. “A great victory tonight, but the tournament is not over.”