Djokovic is just one match away from his 100th title: "I've been thinking about it since the Olympics"

Novak Djokovic secured his place in his 60th Masters 1000 final this Friday by defeating Grigor Dimitrov (6-2, 6-3). To claim his 41st title in the category on Sunday, he will have to beat Jakub Mensik, who took down Taylor Fritz on his side of the draw.

But above all, the Serbian is now just one win away from joining the circle of players who have won at least 100 trophies on the professional main tour. The former world No. 1 shared his thoughts after qualifying for the final.

"I’m very grateful to hear such praise from Grigor (Dimitrov), someone I respect a lot as a player but also as a person. I consider him a friend, a guy I enjoy spending time with off the court.

Bulgaria and Serbia are neighboring countries. I think we share a lot of traditions and cultures, and many things in common. The language is quite similar. It’s a great compliment coming from him.

I’m very thankful to be able to share the court with him once again. I hope we’ll have a few more battles before we retire. We’ve been playing for a long time.

The 100 titles? I’ve been thinking about it since the Olympics. I played in the Shanghai Masters 1000 final. I came very close there. Then, I tried to find the level of tennis I needed to put myself in a position to fight for a big trophy.

That’s what I did this week, to be honest. I’m very happy with how I prepared for the tournament, with how I played. I haven’t dropped a single set so far. It’s a great opportunity.

Let’s see what happens in two days. I’m looking forward to the final. As I said earlier, I really wanted to find my best possible tennis in this tournament, and that’s what I did, putting myself in a good position to win the title.

I’ll need to focus on my game. I know what I need to do tactically. But my goal is to be able to play at a high level as I have, especially in the last two matches," Djokovic stated after his victory.