Novak Djokovic jokes about asking Holger Rune for career tips after Italian Open defeat
Novak Djokovic succumbed to his second straight loss against Holger Rune, falling to the Dane in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Italian Open on Wednesday. The defending champion lost 2-6, 6-4, 2-6 on the night and will show up at the upcoming French Open without a single clay title to his name this year.
Speaking at his press conference afterwards, the Serb was asked if he had any career advice to offer Rune, to which he jokingly responded that it was he who had to ask the 20-year-old for advice given how their most recent encounters have fared.
"I'm going to ask him tips. He beat me twice we played against each other, so... I have no tips for him. So far he's doing very well," Djokovic said.
Novak Djokovic also commented on the rain delays that hit the Italian Open this year, stating that it was not really possible for the tournament to have retractable roofs because it was more important to protect the site in Rome.
The 35-year-old was of the opinion that the rain was just a one-off issue and that there was nothing that could have been done to counter the weather other than simply accept it.
"That's always a debate for every tournament I guess. It's a huge investment. I don't know what the rules are here, whether they can build or not build something. I heard that because of the monuments, protection of the site, anywhere in Rome, it's very difficult to get permits to do any kind of expansion. I don't know about that," Djokovic said.
"Look, as I said, it's not something that we've had in the past. We have maybe one or two days rain. Now it's been consistent rain for days and days. It's just one of these years you have to accept it. You can't influence that," he added.
"Holger Rune was just better, he played too good for most part of the match" - Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic further lavished praise on Holger Rune, declaring that the conditions at the Italian Open were perfect for him and that it was impossible to hit the ball past the Dane under such circumstances.
Hailing the 20-year-old as a "talented, dynamic and all-round player," the 22-time Grand Slam champion admitted that he was the better player on the night and fully deserved the win, especially for the way he managed to hold his nerves.
"Obviously in these kind of conditions, it's very difficult to get the ball past him. He's very, very fast, very quick. Great anticipation. Just a very talented, dynamic player, all-around player," he said.
"Yeah, he was just better. He played too good for me for most part of the match. I did have a bad start of the third set. I think that's where match kind of shifted to his side. He kept his nerves and deserved to win," he added.