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Q. You said on the court that playing with Rafa at Roland Garros is the biggest challenge in sport. Can you explain why? What do you have to do to defeat him on Sunday?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, isn’t it obvious? He won this tournament so many times that I don’t think any player has ever won any tournament so many times. He has lost twice in his entire career on this court. Obviously the conditions are different from what we are used to playing in May and June. I think it might be a better chance for me, obviously the ball doesn’t bounce as high over his shoulder as he normally likes.
Yes, I mean, look, regardless of the conditions, he’s still there, he’s Rafa, he’s in the final and we’re playing on clay. Best of five against him in the Roland Garros final, I know that feeling. I lost to him on this court most of the matches we played, but I also won one match in 2015 in straight sets in the quarterfinals. That is the game that I will look back on and obviously try to get some positives out of it and use it tactically against him.
I don’t feel that physically exhausted after tonight’s game, obviously almost four hours. It was a great battle. But I feel good. I think a day and a half will be a long time to recover. I really want to have a great battle with Rafa.
P. You are going for your twentieth slam title. You’re going for your eighteenth. People say that this might be the most important game you’ve ever played. Do you feel like maybe more is at stake this time?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Grand Slam finals are always huge. That’s what you work for all year, every season in the hope of putting yourself in a position to fight for the Grand Slam trophies. But I don’t think it’s the most important game I’ve ever played in my life. I think there were some bigger ones.
In terms of importance, I mean, if I have to compare, even if I don’t like it, but probably the first Wimbledon final that I actually played against him. Wimbledon was always the one I wanted to win as a child and dreamed of winning. That’s probably the one that stands out. 2016 French Open against Andy Murray here. Every French Open final that I played was the game of my life before winning it.
Yes, I mean, it has a certain meaning and difference when I play the French Open finals to any other slam final. This is the one I have won the least, so of course I am very motivated to try and get another trophy.
