Novak Djokovic: “Clinching the year-end No. 1 and Davis Cup are the two biggest goals”

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has stated that his two main goals for 2023 are to end the year at the top of the ATP rankings and to win the Davis Cup.

On Sunday, November 5, Djokovic defeated Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, in the Paris Masters final to claim his 7th title in the event's history. The Serb, against all odds, battled his way to the final after winning a three-set clash against Andrey Rublev that went down the wire (5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5).

In a press conference, after defeating Grigor Dimitrov in the final, Djokovic said that he had his eyes set on winning the Davis Cup and finishing the year ranked as number one.

“Both. Why not, you know, I'm going for whatever I can go for. I'm very close. I think I need one win to clinch the year [end] No. 1, so that was the biggest goal other than, you know, Davis Cup for the end of the year.

“Yeah, I mean, and now it's going to be recovery time definitely next three, four days, to really leave the racquet aside and just spend time with the family and recharge, and then go to Torino, where every match is going to be like finals of a big tournament, because you play a top-8 player. You know, every match carries a lot of points, carries a lot of importance,” he said.

Djokovic further referred to the ATP Finals format and reflected upon his last year’s performance, where he did not lose a single match. He eventually won the final, getting the better of Casper Ruud in straight sets (7-5, 6-3).

“It's a group stage format which we don't get to experience in any other tournament, so even if you lose a match or even two, in a round-robin system, you can still go through semis. I had the perfect score in Torino last year, five out of five matches. I like playing there. I think I connect well with the Italian crowd,” the Serb stated.

He emphasized that he was riding high on confidence and wanted to end the season on a high because he hadn't dropped a match since his Wimbledon final loss to Carlos Alcaraz. The most important goals for Djokovic, however, were to end the year atop the ATP Rankings and win the Davis Cup.

“I'm going there with good feelings, with a lot of confidence. You know, I haven't lost a match since Wimbledon final, so I'm really excited to hopefully finish off the season on a high. But yeah, clinching the year [end] No. 1 and Davis Cup are the two biggest goals,” Djokovic said.

Novak Djokovic talks about difficult moments at the 2023 Paris Masters

Djokovic struggles in 2023 Paris Masters

During the same press conference, Novak Djokovic discussed the difficulties he had to face during his time in Paris.

Calling it a "very challenging week" the 24-time Grand Slam winner mentioned his health issues, which nearly cost him matches against Tallon Griekspoor, Holger Rune, and Andrey Rublev in the round of 16, quarterfinal, and semifinal respectively.

“There was a few (smiling). A very challenging week. I think also off the court, you know, dealing with the stomach virus that really took a lot of energy out of me, but somehow, yeah, I managed to, I guess, find this extra energy when it was most needed, particularly in the days of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, where I was probably closer to losing these matches than winning,” Djokovic said.

The Serb has enjoyed an exceptional 2023 season so far, with 51 wins out of 56 matches, winning six titles.