Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – "At this point in my career, I choose tournaments I enjoy playing, where I've had success in the past, and where I feel welcomed by the fans. This year, Beijing was a priority, and I'm really happy to be here." This was stated by former world number one Novak Djokovic in a press conference ahead of the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing, where, starting September 30, he will play the China Open for the seventh time in his career, having won his previous six appearances.
"I don't play just to enjoy the crowd, but because I want to win," emphasizes the current number 12 in the ATP rankings, fresh from a defeat in his debut at the US Open. "That's my main motivation, trying to go as far as possible. I always have expectations for myself, and after the career I've had, I can't just settle for losing in the early rounds of a tournament and be happy about it.
I always aim for the final stages wherever I compete. It's no different now, and it won't be as long as I continue to compete at the highest levels."
Finally, the 39-year-old Serbian talks about the challenges of continuing to play professionally. "There are always challenges. They're also opportunities to grow, to learn something new from that experience and try to draw lessons that can be used to improve, in whatever form that improvement may manifest, as a person or as a player, in the period afterward.
I try to have this kind of mentality and cultivate it."
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