Djokovic: I plan to compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris

Djokovic infographic

On Thursday night local time, the world's number one Djokovic gave an interview to Serbian public service radio for nearly an hour. Djokovic said he did not regret having announced his medical exemption on his personal social media before leaving for Melbourne. The Serb also talked about the response of other players to the Australian Open storm in the interview, and said that he still chose to be interviewed by the French "Team Newspaper" in the case of the new crown positive situation at the end of December, which was selfish. Finally, the world's first said that his career has many years.

Speaking about the turmoil he experienced at the Australian Open this year, Djokovic said: "I will always remember my good memories in Melbourne, not only the experience of winning the championship on the field, but also the wonderful experience of my personal life. After all this happened, I still have a deep affection for Australia. My record in Melbourne also reflects how I feel every time I compete there. ”

'What happened to me in Australia this year was unexpected, it was an unforgettable experience, but I hope to be able to return to Australia in the future and set foot on Rodrawall Stadium again."

Djokovic revealed that under the influence of his wife and children, he watched part of the Australian Open final: "I didn't want to go to this final, but my wife and son were watching, so I had to watch it, which was not easy for me. I didn't watch the full game, and I did other things at home during that time. My stance on this final is neutral, and whoever wins the game is still the loser, isn't it? (Laughs) I don't want to put too much emotion into this game, what I want is to stand on the court like them. ”

Djokovic's deep friendship with Russian star Medvedev is known, and the Serb revealed in an interview that Medvedev sent him a message after the Australian Open final.

"Daniel (Medvedev) is a great guy, we have a great relationship with each other and respect each other. When he was a junior player, I often trained with him and helped him, giving him some advice and answering some of his questions, which he appreciated. When Russia played Serbia in the Davis Cup, we were on a plane, and our relationship has grown deeper ever since. ”

"He messaged me 45 minutes after the Australian Open final and it surprised me. Of course, I will not disclose the specific content of the information, he expressed his support for me, and I am also very supportive of him. He is not hypocritical, he speaks with his heart on all occasions, and although what he says is not always politically correct, which may not be liked by many people, I see myself in him. ”

At the end of December last year, Djokovic chose to give a live interview to the French media despite his positive covid-19 situation, which also caused many dissatisfaction, and the Serbian admitted that it was a "selfish" act.

"It was a mistake and I have a lot of respect for the journalist Frank who came to interview me, who has been in this line longer than I have. That interview had been on hold for some time, and it was only after he arrived in Belgrade that I learned that I was positive for COVID-19. I wore masks and maintained social distancing throughout the interview. During the photo shoot session, I took off my mask, but the reporter Frank and the photographer were a few meters away from me. I admit that I was selfish in doing so, and that it was a mistake I made. I understand that not everyone will forgive me, and I understand the criticism that comes with it. ”

Before Djokovic set off for Melbourne, he announced on his personal social media that he had gone to the competition with a medical exemption, which caused a heated discussion on the Internet and aroused the disgust of many local people. Djokovic said he doesn't regret doing so: "I think integrity is important, it's been my philosophy since I was a kid. I know my name has been in the news two or three months before the Australian Open. I value my values so much that I want to be able to announce this publicly, and I don't regret it. If I hadn't made that post, wouldn't things have turned out differently? That's something I don't know. I never expected that I would need to go public with my medical records to get a chance to race. ”

If he successfully participates in the Australian Open, does Djokovic think he has a chance to win the title? To this he replied: "Nothing is certain in life, but as far as the situation is concerned, I do think I have the potential to win in Australia this year. Playing at Rodrawall felt like it was in my own back garden. Out of respect for champion Nadal and other players, I don't dare say I'll win, but I do think I have a chance. ”

Commenting on the reaction of other players to the matter, Djokovic said: "I respect the other players and I understand that some of them do not want to comment publicly on this matter, and I understand that some players have criticized me or are unhappy with the way I have entered Australia, I just want them to listen to me. But their position is also more complicated because the incident has received a lot of attention, and it is understandable that they want to talk more about themselves and the behavior of the event. ”

"I was very pleasantly surprised by Kyrgios's reaction, and all the other people who came to support me, like Cornett. I also received a lot of information from some players privately, but they didn't want to speak out publicly, and I understood that, the situation was complicated. ”

Djokovic gave a further explanation for his choice not to be vaccinated: "As a top athlete, everything that enters my body I have to check again and again. Even if there is a 0.5% change in my body, I can feel it. I was just cautious and careful before making a decision, it all took time, and I kept an open mind. I will accept all the results that come with it. ”

"I think everyone has their own choices, everyone has the right to decide things related to their own health. I don't want to be associated with the anti-vaccine movement, and I've never supported them. I have always respected everyone's own choices, and I hope that everyone will respect my choices. ”

Djokovic, who will be attending next week's ATP500 dubai, said the turmoil at the start of the year will motivate him to perform better.

"I don't know what's going to happen in the future, so I've chosen to focus on what I've achieved and am grateful for it. I hope everything is fine in the future, and I also think my career has some time left. Everything that happened affected my performance in Dubai. I'm going to convert all this energy into physical and mental strength, which definitely gives me extra motivation as well. ”

Djokovic once again expressed his desire for an Olympic gold medal in an interview: "An Olympic medal, especially a gold medal, has always been my great wish. It's a pity that I haven't achieved this in the past and I plan to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. I looked back many times at my semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics and Zverev, trying to find out why I lost the game. I was very good at one point in the race, but then I did feel like I was losing energy, both physically and mentally. ”

(Compilation/Faye Wong, Photo/Visual China)