ATP: “I have always believed in it”: fighter Djokovic again the number one

The Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open will be followed by a return to the top of the world rankings. Novak Djokovic has survived hard times, from Monday he is again the number one in the tennis world.

When Novak Djokovic had finally climbed the summit again, he remembered his early days. “Believe in yourself. Every single day”, wrote the “Djoker” in the social media, and the old and new number one of the tennis world posted a photo from their childhood days. In fact, Djokovic has come a long way. The 31-year-old Serbian has successfully fought his way out of the biggest crisis of his career. Back to the top.

“I’ve always believed in myself, but the fact that it works so quickly surprised me,” said Djokovic, after making it to the quarter-finals at the Masters in Paris. At the score of 6:2, 2:1 his Bosnian opponent Damir Dzumhur gave up. “I don’t like seeing him hurt at all,” said Djokovic.

The 14-time Grand Slam champion replaces his permanent rival Rafael Nadal at the top of the rankings on Monday, the Spaniard had cancelled his start in Paris injured. For Djokovic the 224th week starts as number one, the place he had to vacate on 7 November 2016.

The fact that Djokovic would actually become world number one again seemed hardly imaginable six months ago. In June, after the bitter end in Roland Garros, he was only 22nd in the ATP ranking. But even worse were the agonizing doubts as to whether he would ever find his best form again after the elbow operation. “I had to reinvent myself,” Djokovic said in retrospect.

After a weak spring he parted company with his coaches Andre Agassi and Radek Stepanek and relied on his long-time companion Marian Vajda. Since his triumph at Wimbledon, his first Grand Slam title after more than two years, he has been the measure of all things on the ATP Tour. This was followed by the triumph at the US Open in New York and the tournament victories in Cincinnati and Shanghai. “If someone had told me that in February, I would hardly have believed it,” Djokovic said.

Currently Djokovic is hurrying from victory to victory. He won the last 20 matches, winning 30 sets in a row. Such a strand is unique even for such a successful Serbian. In Paris, Djokovic can now clinch his 33rd master’s title and would thus equal record winner Nadal. With his triumph in Cincinnati in August, he had already achieved something unique and was the first player to triumph at all nine tournaments in the Masters series.

Questions are raised by Djokovic’s planned show match in Saudi Arabia. Shortly before Christmas, on 22 December, the Serb is to compete against Nadal there. Especially after the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi the match is viewed critically. “My team is in contact with Saudi Arabia, we are conducting talks to better assess the situation,” Djokovic said: “I don’t want to interfere in political affairs. It is unfortunate that we are both drawn into this.”