Novak Djokovic has ominously warned his rivals at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships that he is “feeling great” and is full of confidence as he begins his bid for a fifth title at the Aviation Club.
World No 1 Djokovic has enjoyed a lightning-fast start to the season, piecing together a 13-match winning run that has encompassed title wins at the inaugural ATP Cup with Serbia and the Australian Open – where a successful defence ensured a record-extending eighth trophy – as well as a return to the top of the rankings.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion makes his return from a three-week break as the man to beat in Dubai, a status only strengthened following the withdrawal of defending and eight-time champion Roger Federer last week.
“When you win a grand slam at the beginning of the season – and I've been lucky to win so many Australian Opens – that always starts off my year in a great way and gives me a lot of confidence,” Djokovic, 32, said during Sunday’s media day.
“I knew that every time I would win the Australian Open, I would have a great season after that. Hopefully that can be the case again.
“I'm aware of the [winning] streak. I'm aware of the fact that I'm feeling great on the court. Of course, when you win that many matches, it translates to a high level of confidence.
“But I'm aware that it could easily be disturbed and lost. I try to approach every tournament and every match as a fresh start: continuation of the great streak, yes, from a confidence perspective, but fresh start game-wise.”
Djokovic may be playing close to perfection at present, but the four-time Dubai champion insists there is still “room for improvement”.
“That's my biggest motivation,” said Djokovic, who returns to Dubai for the first time since his retirement with an eye injury during the 2016 quarter-final against Spain’s Feliciano Lopez.
“That's probably one of the biggest reasons why I keep on playing this sport and why I put in a lot of effort and dedication every single day.
“I feel that tennis is a great place for me to improve not just in tennis but also as a human being to build my character. Tennis, like no other place in life, triggers me, triggers my emotions. It's a great way for me to understand myself on a deeper level. I see tennis as a great school of life in a way.”
Djokovic will begin his campaign in the first evening match on Monday against Tunisian wildcard Malek Jaziri, whose reaction to being drawn against the top seed went viral on Saturday, having moments earlier expressed his wish to avoid such an encounter.
Djokovic should face few problems against Jaziri, particularly given the Tunisian’s lack of match practice as he recovers from injury, but the Serb will remain fully focused.
“We are good friends,” Djokovic said of Jaziri. “He's a very nice guy, very talented. Obviously these kinds of match-ups, he doesn't have much to lose. That's why I take it very seriously. I will try to prepare for it in the best possible way.”
Among the players leading the charge to end Djokovic’s dominant start to 2020 will be 2018 Dubai champion Roberto Bautista Agut.
Like Djokovic, Bautista Agut went 6-0 at the ATP Cup, and the Spaniard will take confidence not only from his start to the season, but the fact that should he meet Djokovic this week – and it would only be possible in the final – he has beaten the Serb in two of their three most recent meetings, both times in similar conditions on outdoor hardcourts.
“I think it was a great month in Australia for me. I've been working well at home, I did all my stuff, all the physical work well, and I think I'm ready to play a good week in Dubai,” said world No 12 Bautista Agut, who plays Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round.
“I like the conditions here. I think it's great for my game, great for my tennis. It's one of my favourite tournaments of the year. I feel in a good shape and ready to play a great tournament.”
