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Novak Djokovic defeated Mats Moraing 6-2, 7-6(4) in the second round of the Belgrade Open on Tuesday. Despite the relatively straightforward scoreline, there were some difficulties for the Serb, who seemed to struggle with the conditions in the second set and received a point penalty for smashing his racket.
Speaking to the media after his win, Djokovic revealed that despite having a solid record on clay, it was his least preferred surface.
"Although I grew up on clay, it is not my favorite surface," the 34-year-old said. "I like to play on hard, then on grass, and then only on clay. But, that doesn't mean that I recorded bad results on clay."
Novak Djokovic is one of the most accomplished claycourters on tour at the moment. The Serb won the French Open in 2016, and reached the final on four other occasions (2012, 2014, 2015, 2020). He has also amassed 10 Masters 1000 titles across Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome.
When asked about his favourite court, the 18-time Grand Slam champion gave a very pointed answer.
"Australian Open. Melbourne Park. Rod Laver Arena. 7 p.m. That is the most ideal," Novak Djokovic said.
The 34-year-old then went on to mention some of the challenges he has faced on the red dirt over the years.
"Clay is the kind of surface where it is unpredictable, and sometimes for my style of play, tempo, and rhythm it can be quite challenging," he said. "When there are a lot of bad bounces, when the quality of the surface is not the best, even the wind, what kind of balls they are.
The top-ranked Serb also elaborated on the finer details of the game, some of which are not visible to viewers on television.
"People on television think it's not a big difference, but for us it's a big difference when the balls change, when you play the evening match, when you play in the middle of the day, when the humidity is higher, the altitude, when it's warmer ... That for our sport makes a big difference," Djokovic said.
I can't always choose when and where I play - Novak Djokovic on his schedule
During his press-conference, Novak Djokovic also spoke about his schedule and how he is not always able to pick and choose when and where he plays.
"I can't always choose," the Serb said. "It also depends on television and transmission, on other players, on whether someone plays doubles or not, whether he needs more time to rest because he has a small injury."
"It is the result of an agreement between several people - tournament directors, supervisors, other tournaments that are played then, television," the Serb added. "There are a million different elements. I can send a request and here in Belgrade, those requests were accepted, but that is not always the case at other tournaments."
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