Novak Djokovic might not be playing his best tennis right now, but the Serbian isn't shy about his expectations for the ATP Masters 1000 event—and that’s to win it.
Djokovic recently famously admitted that the most important events for him at this stage of his career are the Grand Slams and the Davis Cup. They're not the only events he cares about, but for the most part, those are the ones he’ll be basing his calendar around.
With that in mind, Djokovic arrived in Shanghai for the Shanghai Masters hoping to have a good result. His performances recently haven't been the best, but he hasn’t played that much either.
Only the early exit at the US Open sounded the alarm bells, but he started in Shanghai with a win—a solid win because he faced Alex Michelsen, and the American player pushed his opponent a lot.
It wasn’t Djokovic's best level, but it was good enough to win. After the match, the 37-year-old was asked about his expectations in light of his recent form, and he admitted that he hopes to win the ATP Masters 1000 event despite his bad run of form.
It might sound like a cliche, but it is a reality for someone as good as Djokovic, and it's a mentality he keeps in every match and every event regardless of a bigger-picture goal.
"The expectations are always there. Any tournament I play, anywhere I play, any match I play, people expect me always to win. I'm used to that by now. I have, of course, expectations for myself."
"Any match, against anybody, anywhere, I want to win, so that's the kind of mentality that I've nurtured my entire career. It's no different here."
Not having played in Shanghai in five years is certainly another factor for Djokovic as he hopes to make a good impression upon his return. He's the most successful player in the event's history, winning the tournament four times, and getting to five is his goal this year.
He's always enjoyed his time in China, and the Serbian also has lots of fans in the country, who are some of his most passionate supporters outside of his native Serbia.
"You mentioned the fact that I haven't been here five years, and I think that brings me extra motivation, particularly because of the love and support that I've been getting today and all these days here in Shanghai. It's just remarkable. I'm very grateful to all the fans waiting in front of hotel, practice court here."
"I've been coming to China for so many years, but I don't think I've ever experienced this, this level, this intensity of support, it's just something that I'm very, how can I say, blessed with it, you know, very privileged to be in the position to be supported and followed by many people."
"China loves tennis, and as a tennis player, being part of a big event like Shanghai Masters is amazing, particularly this year."