Djokovic reaffirms himself in Paris: "For an old man, it's not bad at all"

Andrés Tomás Rico - 3 Nov 2026 | 19:38
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The Serbian triumphed in a close and challenging debut at the Paris Masters 1000 against a Vacherot who had him on the ropes: "Here I am, giving everything I can."

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Djokovic redeems himself in Paris: “For an old man, not bad at all.” Photo: Getty Images

Novak Djokovic continues to hold on to tennis. No matter that he is 39 years old and has gone through a 2026 to forget, the Serbian doesn’t throw away his racket and keeps fighting in every match for the love of tennis and his competitive hunger. This was evident in his match against Valentin Vacherot (6-7(5), 7-5, 6-1), where he was pushed to the limit but managed to escape just in time to reach the round of 16 at the Masters 1000 in Paris.

Before preparing for his match against Rinky Hijikata, Djokovic attended a press conference to analyze his tough victory against Vacherot and the feelings he experienced on his return to the Masters 1000 in Paris three years later. But above all, he wanted to highlight his achievements at the age of 39, in statements collected by L’Equipe.

Djokovic analyzed his hard-fought victory against Vacherot in his debut in Paris

"It was a match with ups and downs, but in the end, I managed to turn it around. I knew going into the court that it was going to be very close. He has a lot of confidence and is one of the best servers on the circuit. His second serves are super aggressive, faster than my first serve, so it was very difficult to play against a player under those conditions, which are really quick."

"For being an old man, I'm not doing too bad, am I? People think I’m too old, too slow, but somehow, I’ve managed to find a way to win these kinds of matches, especially those that go to the end. So here I am, hanging in there and giving all I can, always trying to reach my best level when it matters the most."

Djokovic confessed how difficult it is to break Vacherot's serve

"I didn’t play here last year, but the players tell me this year is completely different. It used to be very slow. Now it’s like playing on ice. So you have very few opportunities and you have to try to take advantage of them. I didn’t do that in the first two sets. When I broke his serve at the beginning of the second, I felt more present in his service games, I started to read his serves better and participate more in the rallies. And I think I played well. Obviously, there’s always room for improvement, but it’s very hard to be on the court with someone who is on a roll, confident, and serving like that. So it’s a really good victory for me."

"I guess the score matters a bit in how you feel, but it depends. Sometimes, like at the beginning of the third set, I was very nervous, catching my breath and trying to recover between points in some of the long rallies. For most of the second set, there weren’t many rallies, so I was just watching the balls fly by at full speed. I had to concentrate intensely on my service games."

Djokovic expressed his eternal love for Paris

"I love playing in Paris, at Roland Garros, at Bercy before, and now at La Défense. It’s definitely one of the world capitals of tennis. The French love tennis and have a rich tradition. The crowd was amazing today. I’m very grateful for their support. They cheered for me and gave me even more inspiration to fight."

Djokovic spoke about his next opponent: Rinky Hijikata

"I hope to win. It’s always like that; it’s my mentality. Obviously, regarding my game, I need to watch some of his videos. I know he loves playing on fast surfaces. He stays very low, loves to make drop shots, and come to the net. I think he also won a Grand Slam doubles title (the 2023 Australian Open), so he is very skilled at the net and in short play. I have already played against him twice. I just hope to feel good physically. If I do, I believe I have a good chance of winning", concluded Novak Djokovic, who still has not said his last word in 2026.
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic se reivindica en París: "Para ser un viejo no está nada mal"