World Number one Novak Djokovic lodged his 18th straight victory of the season after dispatching Stefanos Tsitsipas in Dubai’s championship match.
After pulling off his fifth title in UAE he stretched his match-winning streak to 21 and following that the on-court interviewer asked about his 2020 goals.
“Well, one of the targets is to go unbeaten in the whole season. No, I’m kidding..” Novak laughed. And after a pause, he continued, “no, I’m not kidding actually.”
Certainly, Novak Djokovic has the ability to keep his streak unbroken. This week in Dubai he dropped a set and saved three match points against Gael Monfils. And besides that match, his performance on the Emirati court was surreal.
For the tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami in March, Djokovic is arguably the clear favorite. But over the past three years, Sunshine Double has been a wobbly swing for Novak. His records from the previous three seasons in California and Florida put his winning-streak of matches in the danger zone.
“I’ll try to keep that run going” – Novak Djokovic
“I’m trying to embrace the moment and appreciate where I am,” Djokovic reflected after his victory in Dubai. “I think this has been one of the best starts of all the seasons I had in my career.”
“I feel great on the court. I’ve been playing great tennis on the hard courts. That is my most successful and preferred surface.”
Earlier in the 2010-11 season, Novak extended his match-winning streak to 43, which was snapped by Roger Federer in the semifinals of Roland Garros 2011.
It’s the seventh time in his career, he has one more than 20 match consecutive matches, and the Serbian ace is eyeing to keep his winning-steak intact for the rest of the season.
“I’m just grateful that I’m playing well, feeling well. I’ve won many matches now in a row. I’ll try to keep that run going. It’s just way too early to speak about how long that run might go, the calculations,” said Djokovic.
“I try not to think about predictions. I try to focus on what I need to do with myself and my team in order to thrive every day, in order to try to play as best as I can every single match. That’s the main focus,” he added.
“I’ve Set What My Goals Are” – Novak Djokovic Sends Stern Warning Ahead of Sunshine Double
World No.1 Novak Djokovic steers on another target after capturing the Dubai Tennis Championships title for the fifth time with a commanding 6-3 6-4 victory over second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Serbian has already set his sights on a new goal after an invincible start to the 2020 season.
With the victory on Saturday’s final, Djokovic registered his 18th consecutive match win of the season. The 32-year-old clinched his third trophy of the year after guiding Serbia to the inaugural ATP Cup title and lift an unmatched eighth Australian Open title. He now holds 79 career titles and stands 5th in the Open Era in the list of most career titles.
What’s next for Novak Djokovic?
The 32-year-old joked of having an unbeaten season in 2020. However, the 17-time Grand Slam winner seems determined to add more titles to his trophy haul. Completing the sunshine double is the next big target for the Serb.
Djokovic is scheduled to play the first Masters events of the season at the Indian Wells and Miami. After winning the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Open in 2016, Djokovic failed to leave a mark on the two hard court events in the past three years. However, he aims to improve his results this time around.
“I’ve set what my goals are. They’re very clear to me. I’m working towards them. I will try to stay healthy and fit and have possibly great Indian Wells, Miami. It hasn’t happened for the last 3 years for me there. I’m really motivated to do well. Also a lot of points up for grabs there for me,” Djokovic said in the on-court interview.
“I try not to think about predictions”: Djokovic
The World No.1 will try to keep his winning run going. However, he was wary to speak about how long that run might go.
“I try not to think about predictions. I try to focus on what I need to do with myself and my team in order to thrive every day, in order to try to play as best as I can every single match. That’s the main focus,” Djokovic added.
