Earlier today, World Number 1, Novak Djokovic, dished out a hard-fought victory at the ATP World Tour Finals. In a crucial triumph necessary to enhance his chances of reaching the semifinals, the Serbian outperformed Hubert Hurkacz in their final group-stage match. Hurkacz had replaced Tsitsipas at the event after the latter withdrew from the tournament due to an injury. After his victory, Djokovic revealed a serious message.

However, World Number 1’s possibility of getting into the semi-finals is still yet to be decided and depends on the match between Jannik Sinner and Hogler Rune. Sinner’s victory against Holger Rune will pave the way for Djokovic to enter the last 4 of the tournament. Anyway, Djokovic isn’t too concerned by the outcome of that match.

Novak Djokovic makes a candid confession

In a match lasting over two hours, Djokovic got the better of Hurkacz in three sets 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-1. Subsequently, he was involved in a post-match interview where he talked about the dependence of another result on his fate. Opening up about this, he said, “A win is a win, so I did my job!” Further, the interviewer asked Djokovic if he would hope and pray for Sinner’s victory later today. Responding to this, the Serb revealed, “No, I really don’t care. I did my job so let’s see what happens and if I qualify for the semis, I’ll think about it tomorrow.”

Indeed Djokovic won’t be too concerned by the result of Sinner’s match as he has achieved a significant milestone already. With the victory over Rune in his opening game, Djokovic ended the year as World Number 1. Along with high expectations, Djokovic also has had to manage the Italian crowd. His unconventional methods of dealing with them caught the attention of Serena Williams’ ex-coach.

Rennae Stubbs talks about Djokovic’s crowd management

During the ongoing ATP World Tour Finals, Djokovic has faced heat from the crowd. He was subject to boos during his match against local hero, Jannik Sinner. However, the Serb dealt with them effectively without losing his cool.

Read More: Uncertainty Clouds Novak Djokovic as ATP Finals Run Relies Solely on Local Favorite Jannik Sinner

Talking about his methods, Stubbs said, “Novak’s not flipping the crowd off. But he’s doing the opposite. He’s egging them on. Like he’s like, “bring it, bring it” and that match in particular in Paris, when he started egging the crowd on when he lost his serve. He didn’t lose a point after he did that.”

Djokovic will know about the status of his qualification for the semifinals in a few hours as Sinner faces Rune later today. Whom are you backing to reach the year-ending championship’s semifinals? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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