World number two Novak Djokovic complimented his rival, world number one Rafael Nadal, after both competed for the 39th time against each other in the final of the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday. The Serb successfully defended the title after defeating Nadal 6-3, 6-4.
“We push each other to the limit. We make each other better players,” Djokovic said. “We make each other work harder on our games, especially when we play against each other. It’s always a huge challenge.”
It was a form of sweet revenge for Djokovic who lost to Nadal in the US Open Final and in the semifinals of Roland Garros this year.
“After the US Open final, I needed to take things slowly and see and analyse what I did wrong, especially in the matches against him, to understand what I need to do in order to win against him. There is a big team of people around me that are very professional and they’ve done their best in order for me to improve my game.
“I think the results are showing, that we had a great improvement in the last two and a half months,” Djokovic said.
“This can serve as a great platform,” said Djokovic. “I’m extra motivated and inspired to work and get myself, first of all, rested and recovered in the off season, and then work on my game and get ready for Australian Open.”
Djokovic will begin his 2014 season with a 22-match winning streak after he successfully defended his titles in Beijing and Shanghai before winning the Paris Masters and the London title.
