Novak Djokovic wants "perfection 100% of the time," says Laura Robson ahead of the Serb's Australian Open final match
Former British tennis pro Laura Robson recently commented on Novak Djokovic ahead of the ongoing 2023 Australian Open final, saying that the Serb wants "perfection 100% of the time."
Nine-time champion Djokovic cruised past Tommy Paul in the 2023 Australian Open semifinals to set up a final clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas at Melbourne Park. The Serb overcame a stutter in the first set, re-establishing his authority to defeat the American 7-5, 6-1, 6-2.
He is on a 26-match winning streak at Melbourne Park and has looked particularly dominant since an ailment in his left hamstring has subsided. He has won 11 sets in a row while dropping only 27 games and is now one win away from winning a record-extending 10th Australian Open title and 22nd Major overall, which would tie him with Rafael Nadal.
Following that, Laura Robson told Eurosport that Novak Djokovic is a "perfectionist" who seeks "perfection 100% of the time," which causes the Serb to become frustrated at times, referencing his argument with the chair umpire about not getting adequate time to serve in his match against Tommy Paul.
"I think he’s a perfectionist. Wanting perfection 100% of the time. When it’s off that, he does get frustrated, like we saw with the towels and talking to the umpire with such a comfortable lead," Robson said.
The Brit went on to say that the "intense" action was unnecessary since the Serb was playing so much better than his opponent, adding that perhaps he was "caught up in the moment," which is understandable.
"He’s so intense in the moment, and it helps his tennis, but there are times when it’s not necessary because he’s so much better than Paul, and there’s no need to stress," Robson said.
"He was probably caught up in the moment and he couldn’t help himself. It happens to all of us," she added.
"It pumped him up, that whole situation" - Mats Wilander on Novak Djokovic's argument with the umpire
Mats Wilander also commented on the incident in the same interview, claiming that it pumped up Novak Djokovic, who was motivated to easily win the first set against Tommy Paul after the 5-5 tie.
"It pumped him up, that whole situation. He decided after being pegged back to 5-5, that he was going to win the next two games," Wilander said.
"He wanted a little bit of help from the crowd, wanting to get into Paul’s head. Suddenly, Paul couldn’t win any games. Unbelievably consistent performance," he added.