After Novak Djokovic made it into the 3rd round of the Monte Carlo Masters with a 6-1, 6-4 win over qualifier Albert Ramos-Vinolas, the world number one told reporters in fluent French how pleased he was with his first win on clay this season.
The Serb’s next big goal is to triumph with the French Open title, the only Grand Slam tournament missing from his already magnificent collection.
To master another foreign language is among his list, too.
”French is a very global language, I wanted to know it,” Djokovic said Tuesday – in English – during his post-match news conference. ”Again, I am still not content with where my level of knowledge of French is, but it’s getting there, even though I don’t get the grammar right.”
Djokovic’s desire to excel in French speaks volumes about his devouring ambition and dedication. At 27, the 8-time major champion already has 51 titles to his name and has been at the top of the rankings for 142 weeks, one more than Rafael Nadal.
Speaking for his friend Janko Tipsarevic said, “Djokovic’s appetite for victory is infinite”.
”If you ask me personally, his goal, even though it seems far from now, is to pass (Roger) Federer,” Tipsarevic told the ATP website. ”I think that his goal is to be the best player of all time.”
Djokovic is first attempting to dethrone Nadal, the ”King of Clay.”
The Serb is off to his best start since 2011 and hopes he can carry his hardcourt form into the clay season, which will climax at Roland Garros, where Nadal has won a record 9 times. What is more, the Spaniard’s current problems might help Djokovic take him off his throne.
The French Open is set to begin on May 24.
In Monte Carlo, Nadal and Djokovic have been placed in the same half of the draw and it is highly plausible to meet in the semifinals. Djokovic, however, is not in a hurry to meet him.
”He’s somebody that has made history in this sport,” Djokovic said. ”He’s probably, looking at the amount of matches that we played against each other, my biggest rival. He’s an ultimate challenger on clay courts. This is where we are right now.”
”I’m really pleased with my performance for my first match on clay against an experienced player on this surface,” Djokovic said. ”There was a good intensity.”
”I often struggled at this tournament. It’s always a difficult period of the year for me, and I’m really happy I got through this one,” Monfils said about his performance. ”I’ve lost similar matches here before.”
Novak Djokovic vs Ramos-V. A., 14/04/2015, 12:25 GMT, Match Center
Monte Carlo Master: Djokovic beats Albert Ramos-Vinolas
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