"To some extent, it's a relief after everything that happened at the beginning of the year" - Novak Djokovic after winning the Italian Open

Novak Djokovic clinched a record-extending 38th Masters 1000 crown on Sunday, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the summit clash of the Italian Open. After the win, Djokovic admitted that the title filled him with relief, given the tumultuous season he has endured.

The World No. 1 began the season intending to defend his Australian Open crown. However, he was unable to participate in any event Down Under after being deported due to his unvaccinated status.

The 20-time Major champion returned to action in Dubai, where he fell in the quarterfinals. He was then forced to sit out the Sunshine double (Indian Wells and Miami) as unvaccinated travelers were not being permitted into the United States.

Djokovic fell in his opening-round match at the Monte-Carlo Masters, sparking widespread fears about his form and Slam-winning credentials.

As such, while speaking to the press after beating Tsitsipas, he admitted that winning a big title was "important" for him ahead of the French Open.

"To some extent it's a relief because after everything that happened at the beginning of the year, was important for me to win a big title, especially with Grand Slams coming up where obviously I want to play my best and be at the level of confidence I think more than just the game, where I want to be in order to have a chance to win the title," said the Serb.

Djokovic is a six-time champion in Rome, with a similar number of runner-up trophies also part of his cabinet.

Highlighting his stellar record, the Serb explained how the atmosphere and crowd at the Italian tournament helped him find his best tennis.

"Rome historically has always been a place where I felt down a little bit or didn't have as good of results," Djokovic said. "I always kind of found my groove here because of the support, because of an amazing energy the crowd gives on and off the court."

"I knew I'm kind of player, particularly on clay, that needs more time, at least three, four weeks to get to the desired level" - Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic won the 2022 Italian Open without dropping a set. He also served up a bagel to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday's summit clash. During his press conference, he highlighted those facts, asserting that he could not have asked for a better campaign at the Rome Masters.

"Yeah, I couldn't ask for a better week really," said the Serb. "Played a perfect set today. Didn't drop a set the whole tournament. I trusted the process really when I started training on clay."

The 20-time Major champion explained how he is the type of player who requires three to four weeks of preparation in order to find his groove on clay.

"I knew that even though I did not have tournaments prior to Monte-Carlo, I still felt rusty on the court," he added. "I knew I'm kind of player, particularly on clay, that needs more time, at least three, four weeks to get to the desired level. Historically that's always been the case."

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