World No.3 Novak Djokovic plans to make the experts eat their words, declaring he’ll embrace the pressure attached with defending the Australian Open to triumph at Melbourne Park again.
Former Australian great John Newcombe is among the critics questioning whether Djokovic can handle the nerves in returning as Open champion, but the Serb isn’t wearing the tag like a millstone around his neck.
After 10 days in the Serbian mountains, two weeks preparing on court in Monaco and his first New Year’s Eve party in five years, Djokovic says he’s excited about repeating his 2008 breakthrough in Melbourne.
The 21 year old will start his campaign Down Under as the drawcard for the Brisbane International, which also features vanquished Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, on Tuesday against tricky Latvian Ernests Gulbis.
“I take the best memories of my career out of Melbourne last year, and I really look forward getting back there,” he said on Sunday.
“Of course there’s going to be a certain amount of expectations and pressure as the Grand Slam champion but I will try to use it in my favour and look at it as a positive challenge.”
Djokovic admitted there was more pressure on him this month than when he went to Roland Garros last May attempting to win his second straight Grand Slam title before losing in the semifinals.
He also conceded it was usually easier to be the hunter rather than hunted in big tournaments but backed himself to be “professional” enough to ward off the challengers, coming especially from fellow top-four rivals Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and the in-form Andy Murray.
“This is a professional sport so if you intend to be one of the best players in the world you have to learn to cope with that pressure and accept it as a part of your life,” he said.
“I will have to put that aside and try to repeat the success of last year.
“I’m sure I have enough quality to do that. It’s just a matter of if I’m able to perform my best tennis like I did last year or not.”
Before then Djokovic will have the opportunity to enter the Australian Open as the world No.2 and second seed, thereby avoiding No.1 Nadal until the final, by winning the inaugural Brisbane tournament.
The popular on-court joker is just 10 points behind current No.2 Federer who is starting his year playing the ATP event in Abu Dhabi.
Neither is defending any points, so Djokovic can leapfrog the Swiss maestro if he outdoes him in Brisbane.
But he knows his first-round meeting will be no walkover with Gulbis, a former teenage training mate at the same German academy, pushing him hard in two matches in 2008.
“He has nothing to lose,” Djokovic said. “He’s a big server and for both of us the first match of the season, so it’s tricky.”
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