Djokovic sums things up ahead of Monte Carlo: "It can't be forgotten, it's not possible, it all leaves a scar"

Photo: Tanjug/AP

The world's best tennis player, Novak Djokovic, will soon play his first match at the Masters in Monte Carlo, and in a conversation with Sportklub, he shared his impressions about how he feels in his second home.

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"Monaco has been my residence for over 10 years, both my children were born here, so it has a special place in my heart. Both this town and this club. I spent a lot of time on these courts, I know people who work in the club, so it's kind of a nice feeling to sleep in my own bed and participate in a professional tournament. There is not much opportunity to replicate such a feeling and experience it elsewhere. I try to enjoy myself on and off the court for as long as possible," said Novak.

Novak also heard that Gael Monfils will not be able to play neither in Monte Carlo, nor in Belgrade.

"I am sorry, because Monfils is a big star of our sport and we hoped that he could come to Belgrade. I mean, if he also cancels, we have a lot of good players including Dominic Thiem, Kachanov, Rublev... The tournament for the 250 series is really impressive. The list of players who signed up is impressive."

After all the things that happened to him this season, Djokovic said that it cannot be forgotten so easily.

"Well, it can't be forgotten. That's simply impossible, but it can be accepted and one can move on, that is something that has already happened and that it is something that one should no longer worry about, or be held back by what one is experiencing in the moment or what will happen in the future. I’ve been in lots of situations on and off the court that are kind of traumatic, starting with those disgusting wars while I was growing up, and onwards. It all leaves a scar. This year I experienced what I never experienced in my career, in my life. It certainly left a mark mentally and emotionally. I don't know how big it is, for how long it will be with me. It's something I can't predict and I can't spend energy thinking about."

He divided this into two parts, and then stressed that he would try to adapt to the court as soon as possible and adjust his game.

"It's all still fresh. Somehow I see it all in two parts, what my job is there - the first is to say goodbye to it somehow, that it happened, and to move on. Although, when I'm at a tournament, they remind me of those things and I try not to think about it. On the other hand, that other part of the job is the one that concerns professional tournaments when those official matches start. That is the moment when some things come to the surface. I will try to use it as fuel, a constructive game, to play my best tennis, there is always the motivation. However, one should be realistic, although I always have expectations of myself, on the other hand I try not to have too high expectations for this week, because I've missed playing many matches. I didn't play. Clay is specific, I hope that I will not need too much time to get into the rhythm," Novak concluded.

In the second round of Monte Carlo, Djokovic will play against Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

(Telegraf.rs)