Novak Djokovic believes he is moving in the right direction, despite losing on Wednesday at the Mutua Madrid Open.
“Obviously I'm disappointed from losing this match,” said Djokovic, after losing to Kyle Edmund 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 in the second round. “But I can be happy with the progress of the level of my tennis.
“There are obvious things that are not working well for me. But I have to keep working on them and pray that — and hope that — my game will get stronger, get better as the matches go the distance. Especially [at] such big tournaments against quality players, you've got to step in. I tried, but obviously, [it] wasn't to be today. Hopefully, [the] next one.”
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The 30-year-old Djokovic beat former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori on Monday in the first round at the Caja Magica — his biggest win of his comeback from a right elbow injury.
“I haven't played a whole bunch of matches,” said Djokovic, who is now 6-6 on the year. “But still, [I played] two tough opponents, tough matches… There are positives to take out from this, but [it’s] obviously disappointing to go out early in the tournament.
“It's not the end of the world. Obviously, I've played this sport so many years and had a bunch of success. I try to always remind myself and be grateful for that.
“At the same time, nobody is forcing me to play this sport. I do it because I like it. I want to do it. And that's something also that makes me fortunate to play the sport.
"So that's where I draw my strength. And as long as I keep going, as long as I love the sport, I'll keep going. And that's all it is.”
Djokovic will next travel to Rome, hoping to rediscover his peak-performance days, for the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, where he is a four-time titlist.