Novak Djokovic confident of playing his best after 2-month gap, says he "doesn't have to do anything special" in his preparation

Novak Djokovic is fully confident about his chances in the European clay season, despite not having played competitive tennis for nearly two months.

Djokovic withdrew from the Miami Open last month, which means he has been out of action since the Australian Open in February. But during a media interaction on Monday, the Serb claimed he is not worried about rust affecting his play at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Novak Djokovic pointed out that this isn't the first time in his career he has taken an extended break from competitive action. He also asserted he doesn't have to do anything different to prepare for the tournaments ahead, as he has equipped himself well to deal with these situations.

"I've had times in my career where I haven't played a tournament for maybe two months, and I've always come back," Novak Djokovic said. "I don't think I have to do anything special in my preparation to feel my best on the court."

Djokovic : «J’ai déjà eu des périodes dans ma carrière où je n’ai pas joué de tournoi pendant deux mois, e ... - https://t.co/BGPOrCJZrl pic.twitter.com/AtwALzRg3G

— We Love Tennis (@Welovetennis) April 13, 2021

Novak Djokovic is bidding to win a third career title at Monte Carlo, which incidentally is also his city of residence. Having trained extensively on clay since withdrawing from the Miami Open, Djokovic claimed he is 'physically ready' for the challenges that lie ahead.

"I trained a lot on clay," the Serb said. "Since I retired from Miami, I have hit balls on clay. It was convenient here in Monte Carlo where I reside with my family, I felt good. I feel physically ready."

"Mentally, I've missed tennis for the past two months when I wasn't competing" - Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic practices at the Monte Carlo Country Club

Novak Djokovic did acknowledge, however, that he has missed being on the match court over the last two months. The 33-year-old had been recuperating from an abdominal tear for most of March, which reduced his practice time too.

Djokovic is now all set to make his comeback to tennis when he takes on Jannik Sinner in his Monte Carlo opener on Wednesday.

"Mentally I've missed tennis for the past two months when I wasn't competing," Djokovic said. "I'm looking forward to my first game."

During the interview, the World No. 1 also talked about the absence of fans at this year's Monte Carlo Masters. Djokovic claimed he has become accustomed to the situation by now, but also expressed hope that the COVID crisis gets resolved soon so that fans can attend some of the upcoming tournaments.

"It's too bad we don't have an audience, but it's common these days," Djokovic said. "I hope that we will be able to welcome the public very very soon in the big tournaments in Europe."