Novak Djokovic glad that opponents never count him out in a match
Known for his incredible mental strength, Novak Djokovic recently remarked that over the years, he has been able to build a reputation on the tour for not giving up until the match had finished.
After turning pro in 2003, Djokovic secured his 1050th tour-level win by defeating Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 in the third round of the 2023 Italian Open on May 14th. This victory improved his head-to-head record against Dimitrov to 11-1 and brought his season record to 19-3.
Djokovic's ability to come back from behind in matches is well-known, with the 2019 Wimbledon final against Roger Federer being one of the most significant examples, where Djokovic saved two match points to win.
In a conversation with Tennis Channel's Prakash Amritraj on Sunday, he stated he was fortunate to get the result in his favor usually.
"It doesn't work every time," Djokovic said. "I've been fortunate, people think that it works every single time I'm in the storm and I find my way out. It actually doesn't. Like it was the case in Monte-Calro. I was a set and a break up against [Lorenzo] Musetti and I lost that match. So there are days when you make it, there are days when you don't."
"Fortunately, throughout my career, majority of the times I made it and I think the more you win those matches where you're challenged, where you go toe-to-toe, three-setters or five-setters in Grand Slams, the more confident you feel," he said.
The six-time Italian Open champion said he was happy that his opponents didn't count him out no matter what the circumstances were.
"You take that as a kind of mental food. Of course, it builds a reputation in the locker room which is always great to have that players can never really think that you're out and you can come back even if you're one point from losing the match," he added.
Novak Djokovic to face Cameron Norrie in Italian Open 2023 R4
Djokovic's next challenge is against 13th seed Cameron Norrie in the fourth round of the 2023 Italian Open on May 16th. This will be their third tour-level meeting, with Djokovic currently leading the head-to-head 2-0. The last time they faced off was in the semifinals of the 2022 Wimbledon, where Djokovic won in four sets. Norrie earned his spot in the fourth round after defeating Alexandre Muller and Marton Fucsovics in his previous matches in Rome.