Novak Djokovic is trying not to think about his world No 1 ranking because Rafael Nadal is hot on his tail.
The Serbian is just 640 ATP points ahead of Nadal following contrasting US Open campaigns.
Djokovic withdrew from the final Grand Slam of the year through injury in the fourth round while his Spanish rival won the title.
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To make matters worse, Djokovic is defending 2,600 points over the coming months while Nadal has a free shot at every event because he sat out of the end of the 2019 season through injury.
“I do not want to think about the number one because it is putting pressure on.”
Djokovic remained respectful to his rival despite falling further behind in the Grand Slam race.
He added: “We have always respected ourselves and I am glad of his victory and that he is playing well.”
Djokovic was speaking to reporters in Belgrade, where he has returned to training following a shoulder injury.
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The 32-year-old is practicing with his Serbian Davis Cup team-mates as he bids to return to action over the coming weeks.
Djokovic is unsure if he will compete at the Japan Open next week, where he had registered to play.
However, he plans to be back to full health for the Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters and ATP Finals.
Djokovic is hoping to go down as the greatest player of all time and has 16 Grand Slam titles to his name.
But he is still four shy of Federer’s record and has three fewer than Nadal.
However, Djokovic is younger than both of his rivals so has the time to and credentials to overtake both rivals before he retires.
