"I don't know if I had the champion's mentality today" - Novak Djokovic laments Wimbledon 2R performance despite win
Novak Djokovic booked his spot in the third round of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships on Thursday, but the Serb was far from satisfied with his own performance on the day. Djokovic was of the opinion that he could have done much better against his opponent Jacob Fearnley, who is currently ranked World No. 277 on the ATP Tour and was making his Wimbledon debut.
Djokovic sailed through the first two sets on Centre Court, taking them 6-3, 6-4. The third set, however, saw the British wildcard break serve unexpectedly in the final game, which allowed him to win the set 7-5.
The fourth was as even as the third, with both players on par until 5-5. This time around, it was the World No. 2 who broke in the final service game to take the set 7-5, and with it the match.
Speaking at his on-court interview afterwards, the 24-time Grand Slam champion said he did not have the "champion's mentality" on the day and that he was far from "comfortable in his own skin."
"I don't know if I really had the champion's mentality today. I was not comfortable in my own skin, particularly in the third and fourth set. Sometimes you have rough days where you are not feeling your best, and it also depends on your opponent across the net," Djokovic said.
The 37-year-old also spoke about his knee injury, stating that he was feeling much better when compared to before and that he did not want to blame it for his less-than-satisfactory display against Fearnley.
“I was feeling ok. Feeling alright. Don’t wanna be looking for any excuses of the performance today. Credit to Jacob. On my side, I should’ve done things better in the 3rd when I was a break up. Very swirly conditions today.. physically I felt well. Can I be playing better and moving better? Absolutely. I hope as the tournament progresses I’ll be feeling better each day," he said.
Djokovic had come into Wimbledon without a practice match on grass, and having just pulled out of the French Open due to the aforementioned knee injury.
Novak Djokovic to take on Alexei Popyrin in the third round at Wimbledon
Following his win over Jacob Fearnley, Novak Djokovic will take on Alexei Popyrin in the third round at Wimbledon. Unlike the Serb, Popyrin needed five sets to take down his second-round opponent, Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
The World No. 2 has a 2-0 lead in the head-to-head against Popyrin. He beat the Aussie earlier this year at the Australian Open in four sets in their most recent clash. However, this will be the first time the duo face off on grass.