"Today the crowd was great, I had support and the atmosphere was great" - Novak Djokovic after 4r win over Cristian Garin
Novak Djokovic eased past Cristian Garin 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in the Wimbledon fourth round on Monday. The Serb is now into his 50th Slam quarterfinal, the second-highest total behind Roger Federer.
That said, Djokovic had turned several heads with his displays of emotion against the Court 1 crowd during his third-round encounter with Denis Kudla. After that match, the 34-year-old had claimed he plays 90% of his matches against the stadium.
But during his press conference at the end of the fourth round, Djokovic pointed out that he had plenty of support from the Centre Court crowd on Monday. The World No. 1 also explained that he understands when spectators cheer for the underdog.
"Today the crowd was great, I had support and the atmosphere was great," Novak Djokovic said. "I understand that they root for underdog. Sometimes I keep my focus and sometimes I lose my way. When that’s the case, key is to go back and centre yourself."
Novak Djokovic is currently on a red-hot run of form. The Serb has won 18 consecutive matches at Grand Slams, having picked up the trophy at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
As the two-time defending Wimbledon champion, Djokovic is also on an 18-match winning streak at the Championships. The 34-year-old can equal Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's all-time record of 20 Grand Slams by picking up the title in London this week.
Djokovic's form has reignited the 'GOAT' debate between him, Federer and Nadal, especially since the Serb is in position to complete the Calendar Slam this year. But Djokovic claimed on Monday that he doesn't "allow" himself to dwell on those matters.
"I don't allow myself to think too much about that," Djokovic replied when asked about people referring to him as the GOAT. "I need to go about my everyday routines the same way like before. If I start giving away my attention to that, I feel it will derail me. So, day by day."
"Today was a solid performance" - Novak Djokovic on fourth-round win over Cristian Garin
Talking about the encounter against Cristian Garin, Novak Djokovic claimed that his serve gave him confidence as the match wore on - which was in contrast to the third round.
"Third round was up and down, but today was a solid performance," the World No. 1 said. "Using the court well, serving better. Cristian was nervous, particularly in the first set. When I serve well, it gives me more confidence from the back of the court."
Novak Djokovic will now take on Marton Fucsovics in the quarterfinal on Wednesday. Vying for his sixth crown at SW19, the Serb claimed that he tries to incorporate all aspects of his daily life into his on-court play.
"I try to take anything that is part of my everyday life into consideration when it comes to my performance," he said.