As the son of a ski instructor, Novak Djokovic knows all about going downhill fast.
Before launching his quest for a record fifth Indian Wells title, Djokovic shared the secret to his BNP Paribas Open succcess: Home-court conditions in the desert.
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The gritty Indian Wells hard courts play slightly slower and elicit a higher bounce causing the ball to sit up in Djokovic's strike zone.
The defending Indian Wells champion said the hard court reminds him of clay courts he played on growing up.
"Well, conditions are I think pretty suitable to my style of the game," Djokovic told the media today. "I like to have a little bit more time to construct the point. The game is based on the baseline. The speed of the court, the surface, I feel comfortable on the court. Especially in the afternoon, night matches, when it's a bit slower.
"The ball bounces high, you know, as well. I grew up on clay. I grew up with a high bounce. I feel comfortable playing on these courts."
An eye infection prompted Djokovic to withdraw from the Dubai quarterfinals snapping his streak of 17 straight finals.
Djokovic said a challenging childhood growing up in Serbia, and later experiencing the business-side of the sport when his family operated the Belgrade tournament, has taught him to value the importance of every tournament and sustains his motivation for each match.
"I'm not going to a tournament just to, you know, perform and get the appearance and go away, you know. I'm really trying to always give my best, because I understand," Djokovic said. "I think if you put yourself in a position to really understand the other sides of tournament organization. I think helped the fact that my family used to run four years the tournament. Helped me to understand even more that side of it, that perspective of needing to satisfy the sponsors, the fans, you know, bringing the top players, how much effort you need to put into there.
"So when they come and actually don't put in an effort and then go away and take the money, it's not respectful. There is no integrity behind it. I try never to do that. I always have in back of my mind no matter where I go, there is a far more reach to many more people that are coming to see me play. You know, pay tickets. So that's always in the back of my mind and makes me more even motivated to play at my best."
A year ago, a commanding Djokovic drilled Andy Murray, 6-2, 6-3, turning their highly-anticipated 25th career showdown into a showcase for his all-court acumen to reach his fifth Indian Wells final.
The world No. 1 withstood Roger Federer's charge completing a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2 triumph in the final to capture his fourth Indian Wells championship and 21st Masters crown. It was Djokovic's 50th career ATP championship.
Djokovic and Federer have combined to win eight of the last 12 Indian Wells titles.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion is not playing Palm Springs as he continues his recovery from knee surgery last month. During the last 12 years, Rafael Nadal and Ivan Ljubicic, the 2010 champion who now coaches Federer, are the only men other than Djokovic and Federer the rule the desert.
The reigning Australian Open champion has a first-round bye and will play either Bjorn Fratangelo or Teymuraz Gabashvili in his Indian Wells opener.
Photo credit: @BNPParibasOpen