Novak Djokovic: I needed a break in order to rejuvenate

World No 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic has conceded that the pressure of winning a calendar Grand Slam and making history had taken a toll on him this year as he aims to end the year on a high by winning the elite eightplayer Nitto ATP Finals commencing here on SundayFollowing his shock US Open final loss to Daniil Medvedev which shattered his dream of a calendar Grand Slam the Serbian took a break and came back refreshed to clinch the Paris Masters title avenging his Flushing Meadows defeat to the Russian World No 2Djokovic is now looking for a big finish to the 2021 season here which saw him clinch the yearend No 1 in the ATP rankings for a recordbreaking seventh timeDjoko feeling freshComing into the ATP Finals on the back of his 86th tourlevel title of his career the Serbian feels ldquofresherrdquo than in previous years which may spell trouble for his rivals at the Pala Alpitour ldquoI do feel fresher because I havenrsquot played as much as in previous years in terms of tournamentsrdquo said Djokovic on the eve of the ATP Finals ldquoI did have a lot of exhausting events particularly in the Grand Slams not just physically but also mentally and emotionallyldquoThis year has been unlike any other than I have had so far because of the pressure of the achievement and the historical achievement calendar Grand Slam It did take a lot out of meldquoI felt like I needed a break in order to rejuvenate and get ready for the end of the seasonrdquo Djokovic told nittoatpfinalscomldquoI started well with the Paris Masters win and I hope to do well in TurinhellipYou have to play at a high intensity and play at your best Sometimes you donrsquot have a lot of fuel in the tank but you have to play five top matches to win this title and it requires a lot of energyrdquoDjokovic has compiled a 486 match record this season including five tourlevel titles He went 271 in major championships with titles at the Australian Open French Open and Wimbledon Medvedev stopped the 34yearold in the US Open final from becoming the first player to complete the Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969The World No 1 features in the Green Group alongside Stefanos Tsitsipas Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud at the Nitto ATP Finals After 11 successful years at The O2 in London Djokovic is quite happy with his preparations for the prestigious event in TurinldquoLondon was very successful for the Nitto ATP Finalsrdquo said Djokovic ldquoIt is one of the most spectacular arenas in the world and it couldnrsquot be a better setting really in front of a packed house each afternoon or evening It was fitting for the most important event that the ATP owns But I have always been a proponent of moving this tournament regularly maybe every three or four yearsGood vibesldquoTennis has been booming on the menrsquos side in Italy with Matteo Berrettini Fabio Fognini and Jannik Sinner in the past couple of years There is a good vibe in the city and everyone looks forward to supporting the tournament and Matteo in particular Everyone here wants to finish off the year in the best possible wayrdquo added DjokovicDjokovic will begin his campaign for a sixth Nitto ATP Finals crown against Norwayrsquos Casper Ruud on MondayAlso Read Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra and 11 others conferred Khel Ratna 35 get ArjunaThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever