World No. 2 Novak Djokovic says he believes that his level has picked up after the U.S. Open. Djokovic won titles in Beijing and Shanghai and has reached the semifinals of the Paris/Bercy Masters.
“I played really well in the Grand Slams, even though I thought I could have won at least one more,” he told reporters. “I had tough matches against Rafael Nadal at the French Open and the U.S. Open and now he’s number one. He deserves to be there with the results he has had throughout the season. He’s definitely been playing the best tennis in 2013. Now it’s the last few weeks of the season and I just feel extra motivated to play better and better as the weeks go by. In China I had probably the best two weeks of the year—except for the very beginning of the year—so it gives me a lot of confidence. I feel that I’m back where I need to be.”