'I like my chances in Turin' - Djokovic after shocking Paris Masters Final defeat to Rune

Novak Djokovic was stunned by Holger Rune in the Paris Masters 2022 Final on Sunday. However, despite the failure, the Serbian was contained with his performance and was optimistic about his chances in ATP Finals 2022 next week.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia was the undisputed favourite to win the 2022 Paris Masters on Sunday. However, he and his fans were left stunned after unseeded Holger Rune of Denmark shocked him with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 defeat right before the 2022 ATP Finals in Turin next week. It was the latter's third ATP title, which has come this year, besides his maiden Masters' title. Although the defeat left the former heartbroken, he was not brooding over it. He expressed his delight in how things mainly transpired well for him throughout the tournament and remained optimistic about his chances in Turin.

"Of course, I'm disappointed with the loss today, but I was very close. It was just very few points that decided a winner. But the tennis level I play is high, and I like my chances [in Turin]. Of course, every match is like a final there. There are no easy matches," said Djokovic after the loss during the press conference.

Analysing the defeat, Djokovic considered, "He [Rune] stayed also composed mentally to the last shot. For somebody so young to show this composure and maturity in a big match like this. He's had a week of his life. I mean, winning against five Top 10 players, it's quite impressive."

Djokovic spoke on his preparations for Turin, saying, "You've got to be fit, fresh. The good thing is that you have a day between every match in the group stage, so you have time to recover between each match, which is good. Let's see. I played there last year and played excellent tennis."

"I played in the semis, a tight match against Zverev, the eventual champion. So, I know that the conditions are different. The ball is flying more because of its altitude. It's quite fast. You've got to serve well. I'll be there some days before to train and hopefully be at my best," concluded Djokovic.