The World No.1 says his fellow World No.1 is doing just fine, thank you.
Asked what advice he would give to reigning two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka by a reporter on Thursday at all-access media hour, Novak Djokovic didn’t hesitate.
She’s got this one, he basically told her.
“She seems very mature,” Djokovic said. “She seems like she has already done it, like she has experienced it already which is quite impressive. The way she handled U.S. Open final closing ceremony—I thought it was terrific under circumstances that were not easy for her and would not be easy for anybody. I thought that it was very impressive for her to win the Australian Open several months after her first Grand Slam win and to position herself as No.1 in the world."
Djokovic says that the 21-year-old is wise beyond her years and he really has no advice to give to her.
“Everything that she has been doing so far is very positive and she is very kind and very genuine,” he said. “She comes across as someone that works hard, that respects the game—everybody likes her. I have no advice, she is doing everything perfect.”
Osaka, working with new coach Jermaine Jenkins at Indian Wells will kick off her title defense with a second-round encounter against Kristina Mladenovic. She fell to Mladenovic 6-3 6-3 in Dubai in her only match after claiming the Australian Open title.
