"I am not satisfied with how I played today" - Novak Djokovic after 3R win over Denis Kudla

Modified Jul 02, 2021 20:30 GMT

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic staved off a late challenge from Denis Kudla to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon. The two-time defending champion came into the contest in ominous form, but struggled to find his best tennis against the American, committing 28 unforced errors.

Speaking to the media following his third-round victory, Djokovic revealed that he was not satisfied with his level of play.

"Kudla fought and played well from the beginning," Djokovic said. "Until the last game of the first set, everything was very close, but then I won four games in a row and started to feel better. Anyway, from my side, I am not satisfied with how I played today."

Djokovic's serve was untouchable in the first two rounds, but he struggled for rhythm on that shot against Kudla. The Serb landed just 54% of his first serves and won exactly half of the points on his second.

Djokovic admitted he was a "bit off" but insisted he would focus on the positives ahead of his fourth-round clash against Cristian Garin on Monday.

"I looked a bit off, especially in the serve, something that worked very well in the first two rounds," he added. Generally my serve is a weapon. It wasn’t today. But it is what it is. I don’t want to talk about negatives. I just won in straight sets. Honestly, I think I can play better. I hopefully will do in the next round.”

Novak Djokovic is the first man to win at least 7️⃣5️⃣ matches in all four Grand Slam tournaments.🇦🇺 Australian Open: 82-8🇫🇷 Roland Garros: 81-15🇬🇧 Wimbledon: 75-10🇺🇸 US Open: 75-12 pic.twitter.com/UE64O0lNo0
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 2, 2021

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"I am very motivated to play the Olympics" - Novak Djokovic

During the course of his post-match press conference, Djokovic also spoke about his upcoming participation at the Tokyo Olympics. The Serb said he has "high aspirations" for the tournament and that he feels honored to represent his country at the quadrennial event.

"I am very motivated to play the Olympics and fight for a medal," Djokovic said. "I have high aspirations for a tournament, which takes place every four years and which is the largest in the history of the sport."

"Representing my country is an enormous honor and privilege. I always try to do it in the competitions in which Serbia and Serbian tennis participate. Without a doubt, it is my goal after the Grand Slams. It's what I'm aiming for," he added.

Djokovic won the bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, but he has never laid his hands on the gold.

The Serb is currently in contention to become the first man to complete the Calendar Golden Slam, which refers to winning all four Majors and Olympic singles gold in the same year.