"I would say it's quite a longshot" - Novak Djokovic on chasing down Roger Federer's record of most titles in Dubai
Novak Djokovic may have won the Dubai Tennis Championships on five occasions to date, but he is still well short of Roger Federer's record of eight titles. The Serb has a shot at closing the gap to two this week as he begins his quest for a sixth triumph. On the possibility of catching up with the Swiss, however, Djokovic himself is not too optimistic.
Speaking at a press conference before his opener against Lorenzo Musetti, the World No. 1 considered the idea of winning three more titles in Dubai "quite a longshot." At 34, Djokovic was unsure if he would be able to retain the level of tennis necessary in the coming years to challenge Federer's record.
"I would say it's quite a longshot. He's won it eight times. I've won it, I think, five times. I don't know how many more years I'm going to be playing at a high level and being one of the contenders to win the tournament," Djokovic said.
Djokovic on catching Federer's record of 8 Dubai titles: "It's quite a longshot, I would say. He's won it eight times. I won it I think five times. I don't know how many more years I'm going to be playing on a high level and being one of the contenders to win the tournament."
Coming to the task at hand, the Serb was excited about his encounter against Musetti. He referred to the Italian as a "very talented and tricky" opponent, but hoped to get a positive result under his belt to begin with.
"I still feel good. Obviously, rank-wise, I'm still at the top of the game. The first match is going to be very important to kind of start off the campaign in this year's tournament in a positive way. I have a young, very talented, tricky opponent in Lorenzo Musetti."
Novak Djokovic will play his first match of 2022 against World No. 57 Lorenzo Musetti.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion was of the opinion that the courts in Dubai were faster than in previous seasons, and noted that serving well would be of paramount importance this year. However, Djokovic did not want to think too far ahead and wanted to take it one match at a time.
"I think the court is very quick. In fact, the quickest I've ever experienced the surface here in Dubai. Obviously if you serve well, it's a big advantage. I'm hoping that I can get a good start to the match and hopefully, [there is a] nice atmosphere at the stadium. I'm definitely motivated and inspired to play my best tennis. We'll take it one day at a time and see how far I can go," Djokovic said.
A look back at Roger Federer's 8 titles at the Dubai Tennis Championships
Roger Federer won his first title at the Dubai Tennis Championships back in 2003, defeating Jiri Novak in the final. It was the top seed's 10th ATP tour title and he won the tournament without dropping a set.
The former World No. 1 triumphed over the next two years as well to complete a hat-trick, defeating Feliciano Lopez and Ivan Ljubicic respectively in the finals. In 2006, Federer lost to Rafael Nadal in the final but came back stronger the next year, defeating Mikhail Youzhny in the final to win his fourth title.
The fifth championship came five years later in 2012, where he defeated Juan Martin del Potro in the semifinals and Andy Murray in the final. After falling at the penultimate hurdle the next year, the World No. 29 triumphed two years on the trot with victories over Tomas Berdych and Novak Djokovic in their respective finals.
From Milan 2001 to Dubai 2019...
All 100 of @rogerfederer's titles!
#RF100 https://t.co/HMwzcKjx6q
Federer's eighth and most recent title came in 2019. Seeded second in the tournament, the 20-time Grand Slam champion beat fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final to lift his 100th ATP tour title. In the process, the Swiss became the second man in history to win 100 ATP singles titles, the first being Jimmy Connors.
Also Check Out: Dubai Tennis Championships Results 2022