"There will be no easy matches; every match is worth a final" - Novak Djokovic on his ATP Finals draw

Novak Djokovic recently expressed his satisfaction with the match draws ahead of the 2023 ATP Finals, where he will face three of the top men’s tennis players in the group stage in Turin, Italy.

Djokovic, who has won a record-equalling 24 Grand Slam titles and a record six ATP Finals titles, will take on Jannik Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Holger Rune in the Green Group, starting on Sunday, November 12.

The 36-year-old has been the dominant player this season, winning three of the four Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, Roland Garros, and US Open) and reaching the final at the Wimbledon Championships, where he lost to World No. 2 in a five-set thriller. He also won the 2023 Paris Masters last week, defeating Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.

However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion will not have an easy path to the semifinals, as he will face three players who have shown great potential this year. He said he is looking forward to the challenge of playing against them.

"Here are the best players of the season, they all deserved to be here," he said in an interview with Ubitennis. "There will be no easy matches and I had no preference on which opponents to face in the group since every match is worth a final. The conditions here are slightly different than in other tournaments."

"Perhaps age is an advantage in some ways, but here there is a contrast between the old and new generations… And I don’t know which of the two I belong to (smiling, ed.). For me, competing with the younger ones is an extra incentive, because I know they are hungry for success and want to get to number one in the world," he added.

Novak Djokovic will face eighth seed Holger Rune in his first round-robin match on Monday, November 13. This marks their fifth encounter and third this year, with both players holding an even head-to-head record at two wins each.

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"I can't wait to face Holger Rune; it will certainly be a hard-fought match" - Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic at the 2023 Paris Masters

Novak Djokovic also said he expects a tough match against Holger Rune, who plays a similar style of tennis to him.

"Rune and I play similar tennis, we move well and defend well, he is very concrete and like me, he shows a lot of energy on the court. I can’t wait to face him, having him in the group we will play against him for the second time in a few days, it will certainly be a hard-fought match," he said.

Rune has been working with Boris Becker, who was also Djokovic’s coach from 2014 to 2016. Djokovic praised Becker’s influence on Rune and said he expects a tough match against him.

"Boris is a great coach and will do very well with Holger. I won’t speak badly of him because he is here to listen… (smiling, ed.)" he added.

Novak Djokovic boasts an impressive track record at the ATP Finals, securing the title six times (2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2022) and making it to the finals on two occasions (2016 and 2018).