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Tired Djokovic blames 'overload' after exit

Novak Djokovic has had enough after a draining but hugely successful season © Getty Images

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Novak Djokovic has blamed fatigue for his early exit from the ATP World Tour Finals, saying his body is now suffering from "overload" after a remarkable year.

Djokovic has risen to world No. 1 in 2011 after claiming three of the four grand slams, winning 70 matches and losing just six throughout the season. But two of those defeats have come this week in London - to David Ferrer and Janko Tipsarevic - as the Serbian failed to make the semi-finals of the year-end event despite being the top seed.

While still trying to take the positives from his 3-6 6-3 6-3 defeat to Tipsarevic on Friday, the 24-year-old acknowledged that he has finally run out of steam both mentally and physically.

"I lost a match that I think I was on the way to win. But if this is my last match, I'll be happy because I think, at least comparing to the match against Ferrer, I played a little bit better," Djokovic said.

"It's just that my body says that it's overload. It's been too much this year. Obviously mentally I feel a little bit drained as well. I just don't have that freshness in my mind for the matches."

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal has also looked far from his spritely best at the O2 this week, and Djokovic sympathised with the Spaniard's comments about a lack of enthusiasm after a draining season travelling the globe to play.

"I think you have those days where you don't feel like playing, you don't feel like practising," Djokovic added. "There are tournaments, especially the ones towards the end of the year, where you don't feel as 100% fresh mentally, physically, emotionally. Obviously, that's why he felt that way.

"I understand him because I can say we are more or less in a similar situation."

However Tipsarevic, who is now preparing to go on holiday with Djokovic, still took delight in beating his compatriot despite his obvious ailments.

"Not trying to undermine my performance or my victory, I can freely say that this was not Novak Djokovic from the US Open or Wimbledon, which is normal in a way," Tipsarevic said.

"He won everything a person can win. So it's normal that he had some shoulder issues, whatever. But, on the other hand, I saw him trying and fighting until the end."

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