Djokovic says he respects every player "I have always respected players I play against" - following his thumping of Riveros at Roland Garros

Novak Djokovic reached the next round of Roland Garros after smashing Riveros in straight sets and after the match, he spoke about several things.

Novak Djokovic defeated Riveros from Colombia in straight sets at Roland Garros and after the match he spoke about several things regarding the match and other things. He opened his statement by saying:

"I have always respected every single player that I get to practice with or play against. I understand the effort and the amount of work and dedication that is needed to reach a Grand Slam, to win a few rounds and to be here competing with the best players in the world."

He did admit there is always heightened caution when playing against a player you never faced before because they usually come out trying something new. He also spoke about how it doesn't really matter if you impose yourself early and just play your games.

When asked about the runs of several young players he said:

"It's good for tennis to see new faces. Obviously, you want to have brands that attract crowds but overall I think it's very positive for our sport."

He was also asked about the rumblings of replacing line judges to which he gave a very honest and somewhat controversial opinion. He said:

"With all my respect for tradition and the culture we have in this sport, when it comes to people present on the court, including line umpires, I really don't see why every single tournament in this world, in this technologically advanced era, would not have what we had during Cincinnati / New York."

He followed that up with:

"The technology is so advanced right now, there is absolutely no reason why you should keep line umpires on the court."

An indeed it's a fact that is hard to argue against especially with nowadays technology as Novak puts it. It's somewhat of a controversial opinion especially since an older player like Roger Federer has spoken out against the use of technology in tennis. It's a clash of generations as it is with many things in life but Djokovic joked on the matter as well by saying while smiling:

"Then I would also probably have less chance to do what I did in New York."