I will keep coming back to Dubai, Djokovic says after semifinal loss

Having resumed his season after the astonishing triumph in Australia where he won his 22nd Grand Slam despite battling a serious hamstring injury, Novak Djokovic wasn’t clearly on top of his game in the semifinal of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Against an opponent as tricky as Deniil Medvedev, who is on a dream run, winning back-to-back to titles in Rotterdam and Doha, Djokovic needed to be at his very best to keep his chances alive for a sixth Dubai title.

But Medvedev was too strong for the iconic Serbian on Friday night in his 6-4 6-4 victory.

Djokovic, who is still undecided on his next tournament as he awaits clearance from the US officials on traveling there for Indian Wells with his non-vaccinated status, was delighted, nevertheless, with his game, especially as he was kind of making a comeback.

The Serb did not play any match after his Australian Open win in January, and Dubai was his first start.

“Oh, there are lots of positives. Not knowing how I would react to the comeback from injury, the way I felt throughout the entire week makes me really satisfied with the current state of my body,” the 35-year-old player said.

“I just lost to a better opponent. I know that I didn’t play well in some decisive moments, but it was also due to his quality of tennis. That’s it. We move on to the next challenge.”

With stars like Roger Federer retiring from the sport, and Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray struggling with injuries, Djokovic felt it was important for players like Medvedev to rise and become prominent names in the sport.

“He’s a former No1 and a Grand Slam winner. Anyone that won a Grand Slam, and was No1 in the world, has huge value. Every time he steps out on the court, an announcer is reading what he has achieved, having a Grand Slam title and No1 next to his game is a huge deal for our sport,” he said.

“He’s also a guy that I like. We have always had a great relationship throughout our careers. Ever since he was a junior, I remember him coming up to me and I have always tried to be there, help him out. Not so much today as we were rivals.

“But he has grown to be one of the most important players in the world in the last five-plus years. His place is definitely inside the top-10… top-5, I would say. But it happens. We all have periods where maybe we’re not playing or feeling our best.

“It’s just a matter of time when he’s going to be a contender for Grand Slam titles. We can never underestimate Daniil.”

While Djokovic may not be sure of his future schedule, he definitely knows one thing – he is coming back to Dubai in the future to add to his five titles here.

“I know there are tournaments where I’m looking to peak and looking to always play my best tennis. I enjoyed playing over the years in Dubai. I’ll keep coming back because it’s definitely a place where I enjoy spending time, training, playing in front of a great crowd. Look forward to the next challenge,” Djokovic added.

It’s at the French Open later this year that both Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will get a chance to become the sole owner of most Grand Slam titles.

Tied at 22, it will be a race for the 23rd on the slow red surface in Paris where Nadal is almost invincible, having won a staggering 14 titles.

• Blast from the past: When Novak Djokovic won five Dubai Duty Free Tennis titles