Novak Djokovic: "It was an ugly tennis win for me today"

Novak Djokovic bemoaned his performance against Ivan Gakhov in his 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters opener on Tuesday.

Returning to the Principality after a surprise opening-round loss against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina last year, the World No. 1 made a winning start, beating Gakhov in straight sets. However, it was the manner of his performance that didn't please the 35-year-old.

In a competitive first set, Djokovic dropped serve against the qualifier in unexpected fashion but recovered quickly to take the opener in a tiebreak. Playing better in the second set, the 22-time Grand Slam winner conceded only two games as he improved to 16-1 on the season with a 7-6(5), 6-2 scoreline.

In his on-court interview, the Serb admitted he had a tough outing, terming his performance 'ugly', especially in the first set under 'swirling' conditions.

"It was probably, if you can call it this way, an ugly tennis win for me today. I haven't played really my best, particularly in the first set, and I kind of expected that that's going to happen in a way with swirly conditions," he said.

He continued about the challenging conditions and expressed satisfaction about closing out the win in straight sets:

"A lot of wind today, changing directions and it, it's different practicing and then playing an official match on clay that, you know, I guess no two bounces are the same, you know, it's always quite unpredictable what's going to happen. But I am pleased with the way I held my nerves, I think, in important moments and, you know, managed to clinch the two-set win."

The World No. 1 will next play either Luca Nardi or Lorenzo Musetti for a place in the Monte-Carlo quarterfinals.

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"He knows how to play, no doubt about it" - Novak Djokovic all praise for Ivan Gakhov after Monte-Carlo opener win

Djokovic is up and running in the Principality.

On paper, the clash was a mismatch, as Djokovic was playing his 1254th match on tour and Gakhov his third. However, the contest was anything but one, as the Serb looked rusty after more than a month out of action.

The Serb admitted that he hadn't seen the Russian, who mostly plays on the Challenger Tour, play before, saying:

"I never saw Ivan play before today. To be honest, I have seen a little bit of his video from yesterday's match, and that's all that, that was not the best preparation. But, you know, I guess he's a young player coming up from a Challenger tour and he just was on a roll. I heard he has one challenger last week."

Djokovic added that Gakhov plays with a 'lot of spin', which is unlike most Russian players. The 22-time Grand Slam champion was left impressed after their encounter, labeling the 26-year-old a "tricky" opponent who certainly had a lot of potent weapons in his arsenal.

"He was coming in feeling, feeling pretty good on the court and a bit uncharacteristic for Russian players. He plays with a lot of spin. I think he's training and living in Spain for quite a long time and, you know, he knows how to play, no doubt about it. Big serve forehand, you know, flat backhand stepping in. So it was a very tricky opponent for today, but I'm glad I overcome the challenge."