TENNIS LEGENDS: NOVAK DJOKOVIC SPEAKS TO MATS WILANDER AND ALEX CORRETJA

On the return of the ATP Tour and the US Open

Novak Djokovic:

I’m very glad to see in the news that the ATP calendar and US Open series it’s going to happen this year and the comeback of international tennis. 

I think it is a fantastic news that the Tour is coming back. I am sure that I am speaking on behalf of all the players and all the tennis fans and everyone involved in the tennis ecosystem. This is what we have been waiting for! For all these months we’ve been hoping and praying that the Tour will continue very soon. 

And I think that a lot of people were sceptical, especially for the US events considering what the US went through as a country during this pandemic, compared to Europe that maybe got out of the pick of the pandemic earlier. So, a lot of people including myself were quite sceptical on whether it would happen or not… 

We are very glad that it is happening of course. And it is very important that we provide opportunities. We provide jobs. We provide opportunities for players who compete. Because in the end of the day this is what we do! As tennis professional we love the sport, we are passionate about it. We miss competing and traveling and in the end of the day we miss being on tour. So, I think this is a very positive news. 

On the regulations around the US Open and ATP Tour

Novak Djokovic:

Obviously, the regulations and measures as of today are quite strict! I must say… With quarantine and with some players, especially the one from South America not being able to travel out of their countries to come to the states because they have until 1 September and a no departure rule… Like in Argentina for an example but also for other neighbouring countries such as [in] North America. Hopefully that will change, the ATP and the USTA, everyone is working on it… 

The worst-case scenario is that it remains like this but there is time. I think we have two months until we have the first tournament. It will be Washington/ Cincy and then the US Open. Hopefully every single player who is participating, chosen by ranking and who deserves their place at the US Open will have equal opportunity to travel there and compete as everybody else [does]. 

This is very, very important because this is the foundation of the ATP and the Foundation of international tennis. We will all collectively try to make sure that this is the priority that we will try collectively to make this the priority that we all work together on in order to offer every player the possibility to be there. And then, you see, all the other rules are tough, the fact that you have to stay at the JFK airport and you have to be tested. We all know that these circumstances are not easy for everyone to handle and encounter. 

I am sure that the ATP and the USTA are doing their best to make sure that first of all, first and for most the health of the players is taken care of. The safety also and everything else. I think that they would not announce the return of the Tour on the US hard court and also on clay in Europe if we are not sure that players are safe and able to compete in these conditions. Let’s hope that in the next two months some of those restrictions will loosen up a bit and that we will have a great, great tournament. 

On Roland-Garros going ahead

Novak Djokovic:

I am going to speak to you on how to do that. But I’m extremely happy and excited to see that all the tournaments, especially Grand Slams are organizing their events. Of course, Roland-Garros moved to different dates in the calendar and I am glad that they were able to put everything together because I know. I was part of the organization of the Serbia Open 250 category… I understand the complications and the challenges that are behind tournament organizers. I can only imagine what are the proportions or dimensions and tasks of Grand Slam organizers. 

To be able to move that to a different date and with maybe weather difficulties and all these different things. Great that we have a roof obviously on Philippe Chatrier this year. So, those are the positive things and I look forward to it. I mean it’s one of the most important and one of the nicest tournaments in the world. I always enjoy playing there and I can’t wait to go back.

On having more than one person in an entourage

Novak Djokovic:

We had to adjust to whatever is given to us. It’s not us making the calls; as players we have to be grateful for the opportunity to be able to play. USTA is the final decision maker for the US Open and we all know how important it is for all of us to have tournaments. Especially Grand Slams because Grand Slams are the sacred tournaments of the history of our sport. 

We are very glad to hear that we are able to hopefully bring in more people on-site. If it’s one - it’s one; if it’s two - it’s two; if it’s three - it’s three… I guess you have to adjust and then we’ll see how that works out. For me personally the most important two points are: the ability or possibility for all players around the world - whoever is by ranking deserving to be in the main draw of the US Open - to be there and to be able to compete. 

On how the Adria Tour came about

Novak Djokovic:

Adria Tour’s idea was born a bit more than a month ago. We had a very short time to organize and put things together. We had to mobilize as many people as possible, tried to understand also the regulations, the measures that allow us to hold an event. At the beginning we weren’t thinking that we would be able to have the crowd, even though that at the time we were starting talking to hold an event. 

There was, I think, around 100 people outdoor events allowed with social distancing of course. And then it started slowly, slowly to move forward and improve. I was online with the tennis federation in Serbia, trying to understand how I could help and contribute to the organisation of the national tour. We allow the low ranked players to be able to earn money and have the opportunity to compete because finally this is the most important thing: for athletes it’s how to be able to survive in tennis. In those circumstances, in every possible sphere and field of life that have been greatly and economically affected.  

Of course, lots of people lost their lives because of the virus and it’s very difficult to understand how to approach, how to behave. But as athletes and tennis players we obviously want to move on and find ways in areas in the world which maybe deal with the coronavirus better than other ones and tried to organise an event - with the crowd, without the crowd, with prize money, try to get sponsors involved… 

And so that’s where the Adria Tour was born and together with the tennis federation of Serbia and some individuals, we put this together and it did completely exceed my expectations. 

On his emotional reaction at the Adria Tour

Novak Djokovic:

It was phenomenal. I was emotional in my last match that I played there with Zverev. I had ten minutes of the time, the last ten minutes of the match that I spent on the court I was crying; I was sobbing. I remembered all my childhood days; the days I grew up on those courts. I remembered my first tennis coach Jelena Genčić, that obviously passed away eight years ago. I remembered everything. It was beautiful to be able to play as world number 1 in Belgrade in front of a Serbian crowd and see the full stands and just to celebrate sport, to celebrate tennis and do it for a good cause. Absolutely, I’m filled with joy and with positive emotions.        

On the reaction to having crowds at the Adria Tour

Novak Djokovic:

Obviously, the circumstances that we were in collectively as whole world in the last three to four months it was not easy and of course things two months ago looked completely different than it looks now. 

And this is what we need to accept. This kind of new reality of us really dealing with the Covid-19 circumstances and situations differently in every part of the world. I know there’s been some criticisms as well especially coming from the West: “Why do we have a crowd? Why not social distancing? What is going on and why they’re having this kind of event in the midst of a very hard pandemic in the West?”. 

But you know, it’s hard to explain to people that situation is really, really different maybe in America or the UK than it is in Serbia or surrounding countries. And obviously, from the day one of the organisation of the Adria Tour, following the rules and the measures that have been regulated by the government institution and health public institution. 

We’ve never crossed those lines so we always waited for them to give us a greenlight whether if we could or couldn’t have the crowd. And then we asked them once we could have [it] how much we could have, whether there was a social distancing or not. So, we’ve been through all those processes and the result of it all is amazing. 

On the players that took part

Novak Djokovic:

Dominic Thiem, Alex ‘Sascha’ Zverev, Dimitrov, who came from their countries to Belgrade, where you know, they were impressed, they were they brought back to their homes with only the most positive impressions. And actually, Dimitrov and Zverev are here in Croatia as well participating in this weekend so I’m extremely satisfied. 

I’m grateful to all the people that participation for the organisation in a very short time for this kind of event. You normally need three to six months at least to put everything together - we all did it in three to four weeks. So, it’s a huge effort a huge success and I think it’s a positive image for the sport and in general for tennis. I think it’s important that we move on whatever we possibly can to provide opportunities for players regionally, continentally, whatever, and hopefully soon intercontinentally to compete and earn money, to earn points, and to live out of this sport as they through all their [players’] careers.

On being able to travel

Novak Djokovic: 

To actually be able to travel, I think, this is the most important thing, because that makes it fair for everyone. And the second one is obviously the quarantine. If we are in quarantine and for two weeks, we don’t have any access to the courts and the gym and we cannot train, that’s really tough. I mean, we are hoping that we are least going to have access to the court so that we can stay in shape, that once the quarantine is done, we can already start to compete. 

On financial support for lower-ranked players

Novak Djokovic:

And I think what is also very important is; because of the fact that we don’t have qualifications at the US Open ATP and USTA made sure that there is a financial compensation for all the players that are ranked above 100 and that are supposed to be participating in qualifiers of the US Open. And also, they are going to provide some opportunities for them to compete on Challenger level. I think it’s 125.000§ prize money, a couple of Challengers on the American soil, plus Europe as well at the same time. So, this is very positive. Of course, it’s not ideal, of course, you’re always going to have some players complaining that maybe they don’t have enough opportunities and everything. 

I understand. I mean it’s tough times. At the end of the day there was a whole initiative and motivation for the player relief fund and all that ATP put together with Grand Slams and players to at least help these guys between 150 and 400-500. It’s important because these guys struggle financially the most and they’re the ones that need the help the most. They need opportunities to compete and so I think there is more positive news than negative, thankfully, in the last couple of weeks. We are excited to go out on the court and compete.