‘It’s about more than numbers’ – Djokovic dismisses Kokkinakis at Wimbledon

It was a less troubling day at the office for the former world No 1 on Centre Court on Wednesday

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in action during his second round match against Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis (AI/Reuters/Panoramic)

Carrie Dunn

June 29, 2022

Novak Djokovic eased through to the third round of Wimbledon with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over Thanasi Kokkinakis – much more impressive and comprehensive than his nervy first-round win over Soonwoo Kwon.

“I’m very happy with my performance today. I thought I started off very well, very solid from the back of the court, made him work for every point. I tried to work him around the court, bring a lot of variety. It wasn’t easy to serve, the wind was very swirly on the court today…from my side, a high-quality performance.

“I must say that I am quite pleased with the way I’ve raised the level of tennis in two days. Hopefully I can keep that trajectory, getting better as the tournament progresses.”

Djokovic – You go back to your inner child when the going gets tough

When asked on court if playing tennis was about more than chasing and breaking records, Djokovic laughed and agreed.

“You don’t think about numbers when you start playing tennis,” he said, before expanding: “99 percent of children who pick up a racquet have dreams, love and passion for the game – that’s the most important thing, that’s the driving force, when it gets tough or you’re down on yourself, things aren’t as smooth or easy as you’d like them to be, you go back to the inner child and why you started playing this sport.”

Djokovic will play compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic in the next round.