"I think this has been one of the best starts of all seasons I had in my career. I feel great on the court"
Tuesday 3 March 2020 12:01, UK
World No 1 Novak Djokovic is "really motivated to do well" in Indian Wells and Miami as he aims to complete a Sunshine Double after making an unbeaten start to 2020.
Djokovic downed Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas to win the Dubai Tennis Championships title on Saturday.
It was his fifth crown in Duabi and extended his unbeaten run to 21 matches overall. He has won 18 matches this season, lifting the ATP Cup with Serbia before a record-extending eighth Australian Open title in Melbourne.
Djokovic has hit the mark of at least 20 unbeaten matches for the seventh time in his career and in the 2011 season he managed a 43-match winning streak before losing to Roger Federer in the French Open semi-finals.
Now the Serbian has set his sights on his next challenge, winning the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
"Of course, I'm trying to embrace the moment and appreciate where I am," admitted Djokovic, during the post-final press conference. "I think this has been one of the best starts of all seasons I had in my career. I feel great on the court. I've been playing great tennis on the hard court that is my most successful and preferred surface.
"I'm just grateful that I'm playing well, feeling well. I've won many matches now in a row. I'll try to keep that run going. It's just way too early to speak about how long that run might go, the calculations. I try not to think about predictions."
Djokovic is a five-time champion in Indian Wells alongside Federer, and the 32-year-old says his goals are very clear when the stars head to the California desert for the first ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the year, beginning on 12 March.
"I've set what my goals are, they're very clear to me," said Djokovic, who has a 50-9 record in Indian Wells, but hasn't lifted the title since 2016. "I'm working towards them. I will try to stay healthy and fit and have possibly a great Indian Wells and Miami. It hasn't happened for the past three years for me there. I'm really motivated to do well. Also, a lot of points are up for grabs there for me."
Djokovic will now prepare to clinch both Masters 1000 crowns Indian Wells and Miami in the same year for the fifth time (2011, 2014-16) in his career.
They will go out and try to play their best and stop the streak. At the same time the more I win, the more confident and comfortable I feel playing the next match and competing and really performing well
"Historically I've won both tournaments quite a lot of times," said Djokovic, who, with Andre Agassi, has won a record six Miami Open titles. "I have a couple of weeks now till my first match in Indian Wells, which allows me to recover, rest and get ready, be in top shape.
"I find motivation in the small things and details. The biggest motivation is my self-growth as a player and as a person. Then, of course, I get inspired and motivated by the goals that I set. That's why I play professional tennis. It's why I compete.
"The season, as I said, started in a most perfect way possible. I am aware of the fact that most of the matches that I'm going to play, the players will not have much to lose. They will go out and try to play their best and stop the streak. At the same time the more I win, the more confident and comfortable I feel playing the next match and competing and really performing well."
Check our news, reports and reaction from all major tennis events by following us on skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices or our Twitter account @skysportstennis.
