Novak Djokovic arrived in style for the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters. He started by giving specific feedback about Tennis Channel to Prakash Amritraj. Djokovic joked about getting tired while coming to the interview due to the stairs. He talked about the difficulty of coming up due to the steepness of the stairs.
“You guys have some quite steep stairways to get to you, it feels like stairways to heaven. I feel like its like a challenge or an obstacle, if you master you get to the heaven like set of Tennis Channel.”
While Djokovic felt the stairs were too much, Prakash was also lighthearted in saying that it was necessary as it had a nice view and said everybody needs a workout. Djokovic was then asked about taking a break from the tour to spend a vacation in the US. He also met a few NBA stars while being away from the ATP tour.
“I did have a fun time in California, i missed. It’s been five years since I played in Indian Wells or visited LA or any place in California. Its called the sunshine state for a reason. Its great, a lot of respect for basketball greats. Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Chris Paul and everyone i got a chance to interact with. I love NBA and a huge basketball fan.”
The 36-year-old had not been able to spend time in the US over the years due to their strict vaccination policies. But this year, Djokovic took the chance, as the restrictions have been relaxed. He now looks refreshed at the Monte Carlo Masters. Djokovic is playing at Monte Carlo for the 17th time and has had his best start to the event since 2018.
Novak Djokovic started off with a dominant performance in Round 1
The opening round of the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters saw Djokovic thrash his opponent at Court Rainier III. The World No.1 had parted ways with coach Goran Ivanisevic at the end of March. Since then, Djokovic has been mentored by Nenad Zimonjic, and their partnership started on the right note at Monte Carlo. Djokovic defeated Roman Safiullin in 70 minutes in his first match of the season on the red dirt.
The Serbian only lost a single point on his second serve and at the net in the match. The performance has boosted his chances of going further at the event. Djokovic seems to be in perfect shape, as seen on the court. He was not under any pressure, as the vacation in the US came at the right time. During the Tennis Channel interview, Djokovic was having a go at Prakash with his sense of humor. He also shared his goals for the upcoming months in the tour.
The 2024 season has been described as an Olympic year by Djokovic. He said the priorities are to be in his best form during the Olympics, Wimbledon, the French Open, and the US Open. Djokovic is looking for a historic Grand Slam victory and the ever-eluding Olympic gold in Paris.
