Novak Djokovic On-Court Interview | Australian Open 2024 First Round

Novak, that's the first time you've played Dino. It's the first time he's played a match in the main draw of a major. I just want to get your quick first impressions on his game and his future here. He deserved every applause, every credit that he got tonight. He's an amazing player, I must say, so mature for his age. He handled himself on the court incredibly well. This is his moment, honestly. I mean, it could have easily been his match as well. He was a break up in the third. He fought even though he was four love down and a break point down for five love. He fought. He showed great mentality, resilience. He made me really run for my money for sure tonight. That's for sure. And honestly, I have many, many praises for him, many compliments. I'll be talking about it later in the press conference, probably to deconstruct his game. But, you know, I love the way he, you know, just he's using every inch of the court. You know, he's comfortable to come in. He's defending incredibly well. Just amazing performance for someone that is 18 years old that never had an experience of playing in a big stage. Big kudos to him, to his team. I certainly want to be in his corner, so hopefully he'll invite me because he's going to make some big things in his career. That's for sure. We're going to see a lot of him, a lot of him in the future. Well, we saw about four hours of you tonight in the first round, something we don't often see. How would you rate your game? I know you came in with an injury concern. You look like you were healthy out there. How are you feeling about your level of tennis right now? Well, I started off very well for a 36-year-old guy. But geez, when you think about it, I'm double his age. Reality hits hard tonight. But no, look, you know, I'm really trying to enjoy every moment on the court. Obviously, I struggled in many, many different moments tonight. But, you know, it was credit to him due to his incredible game plan. You know, he just had an answer for everything. He was very physical, particularly from this end. You know, you have a slight breeze in your back, so it's a bit easier to serve. And most of the breaks came from this side. But, you know, yeah, just I had good moments. Some moments I wish I could have played better, maybe more aggressive. But, you know, I haven't played here in a year. It's been a very short offseason. So physically, I'm still finding myself out there on the court. But now I have a couple of days till my next match. So hopefully I'll be able to be at my best for next match. You're going for number 11 here this year. Last question. It'll be a quick one. You're the greatest champion Melbourne Park has ever seen 11 times. There's a four-time champion here in the front row. Did you notice your old coach, your friend, Andre Agassi, is here tonight? Of course, of course. Andre, great to have you. Thank you so much for gracing us and, of course, Australia Open with your presence tonight. It's amazing to see you. I haven't seen you in years. Actually, it was for love and deuce. And I made a forehand winner. And I smiled at you. And I said, it's almost like your return. After that, I lost three games in a row. So not your fault, my fault. I lost my focus. But I was, of course, inspired by your presence and overwhelmed to see you. Thank you very much for coming out. Justin, thank you as well. Thank you, guys. It's great to see everybody here. How about this 11-time champion if he gets one more this year? He's a 10-time champion. It's