Novak Djokovic\u00a0might not be playing his best tennis right now, but the Serbian isn’t shy about his expectations for the\u00a0ATP\u00a0Masters 1000 event\u2014and that\u2019s to win it.<\/p>\n
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\u2019ll be basing his calendar around.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, Djokovic arrived in Shanghai for the\u00a0Shanghai Masters\u00a0hoping to have a good result. His performances recently haven’t been the best, but he hasn\u2019t played that much either.<\/p>\n
Only the early exit at the US Open sounded the alarm bells, but he started in Shanghai with a win\u2014a\u00a0solid win because he faced Alex Michelsen, and the American player pushed his opponent a lot.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\n“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.”<\/p>\n