"I need match play" - Djokovic highlights reason for early Dubai exit

Novak Djokovic made his first appearance of the season in Dubai this week, winning two matches before suffering a surprise loss to world number 123 Jiri Vesely.

This was Djokovic’s first tournament of the season and it is unclear where he will play next due to his inability to enter many tournaments without being vaccinated. He will not be able to play in either of the ATP 1000 events in Indian Wells or Miami next month and it's a worry for him:

"I'm lacking a little bit of the match play. You can see that; I'm still finding the groove on the court. The more matches I play, the more comfortable I get on the court. I need the match play. I didn't have many matches at all last few months. Let's see. Obviously, I'll have to follow the situation, see how it goes. Wherever I get an opportunity to play, I will. Hopefully, that will be soon."

He further said:

"My goal is to keep on playing tennis. That's the ultimate goal. For as long as I really feel like it and as long as I can play. As long as my body allows me, as long as the circumstances in my life as well, the people that surround me [and] support me."

He finished off with:

“I'm still motivated and I'm still p*ssed off when I lose a match. I care about it. I care about winning every match, as anybody else on the tour, regardless of the age. I'm actually glad that I'm feeling a lot of emotions every single day because it means that I really want to be part of this sport, part of the tour.