Novak Djokovic on star-studded Astana Open draw: "Such a line-up is usually gathered at the Masters or Grand Slams"

Like much of the tennis world, Novak Djokovic was also quite surprised when he first saw the depth in the draw for the ongoing Astana Open, an ATP 500 tournament in Kazakhstan. The Serbian tennis great likened the star-studded line-up at the 2022 Astana Open to that of a Masters 1000 tournament or a Grand Slam.

Djokovic was joined by the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Stan Wawrinka, to name just a few of the players participating in the Astana Open. A line-up comprising of most of the top 10 in the ATP rankings is a rare occurrence in a 500-level tournament.

Speaking during a press conference at the Astana Open, Djokovic opened up on the same and revealed his thoughts when he first saw the draw. The 21-time Grand Slam singles champion went on to laud the organizers for managing the tournament at a high level.

"The tournament had a very strong line-up and when I saw the draw I was surprised because such a line-up is usually gathered at the Masters or Grand Slams," Novak Djokovic said. "I've spoken to other players and all are of the same opinion - everything is organised at the highest level here."

Djokovic reminisced about his last visit to Kazakhstan, which came back in 2019 when he played against his great rival Rafael Nadal in an exhibition match in Astana.

"The last time I was in Kazakhstan was in 2019, when Rafa and I had an exhibition match in Astana. We didn't get to see everything in one day, but now I'm playing the full-time tournament, so I have a whole week ahead, and I will definitely visit the local sights," he added.

The 35-year-old reached the quarterfinals of the 2022 Astana Open with a win against Botic van de Zandschulp on Thursday.

"Throughout my career I was pretty good to adjusting to different conditions" - Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic at the Laver Cup 2022 - Day Two

Novak Djokovic has been in stellar form over the last couple of weeks despite having played limited matches on tour since winning Wimbledon. He won two of his three matches at the Laver Cup before winning last week's Tel Aviv Open, which was his first ATP points tournament since the French Open in May-June.

It was a quick turnaround for the Serb after winning the Tel Aviv final on Sunday and he credited his ability to adjust to different surfaces and conditions in quick time.

"I was lucky that throughout my career I was pretty good to adjusting to different conditions and surfaces. I think that experience comes with knowing what to do," Djokovic said, according to Eurosport, after his first-round win at the Astana Open.

He also highlighted that winning the Tel Aviv Open last week played a huge role in his mental preparation for the Astana Open.

"Winning a tournament, losing in a final or a semi-final makes a difference mentally. Coming into this tournament, I feel excited and motivated so I think that helps to adjust quickly," the Serb added.

Novak Djokovic is set to face US Open semifinalist Karen Khachanov in the Astana Open quarterfinals on Friday and was joined by Rublev, Tsitsipas, Medvedev, and Hubert Hurkacz, among others, in the last-eight stage.