Novak Djokovic's extreme desire to improve himself has pushed him beyond his limits to become the all-time record holder in tennis.
"He's crazy," coach Goran Ivanisevic said of Novak Djokovic with a shake of his head in an interview mid-season in 2023 – one of Djokovic's peak seasons. According to Ivanisevic, even when holding titles in his hands, Djokovic still complains about his weaknesses.
Djokovic during a match at the 2023 US Open, where he extended his Grand Slam record to 24 titles. Photo: Reuters.
Ivanisevic has witnessed this attitude from Djokovic increasingly frequently, especially in the last four years. The Serbian player often arrives at practice in a bad mood, believing the previous match was a disaster, and that he needs to improve in everything. Serve, attack, backhand – one of the most celebrated backhands in history – all are a jumbled mess in Djokovic's mind.
Djokovic showed almost no self-recognition, despite holding a record of 24 Grand Slam titles, 40 Masters 1000 titles, and 34 other major and minor titles after more than 1,000 wins. The only thought Nole conveyed to Ivanisevic was how he needed to improve himself so as not to be "cooked" by his opponent.
Great tennis players always crave improvement, and Djokovic is no exception. But the extreme desire he has, and the way he finds a way to improve, is rare. Repeatedly performing at the highest level, season after season on all three surfaces, is a huge challenge for any legend.
2015 was the season Djokovic played the best tennis ever seen. It's the year Djokovic often mentions when asked about his best version. But since that peak, Djokovic seems to have played at a similar or even better level. He reached the finals of all four Grand Slams in 2023 and won three of them. If Carlos Alcaraz hadn't been so brilliant in the final games of the fifth set, Djokovic would have swept Wimbledon to create his greatest season yet.
As his rivals were gradually left behind in the Grand Slam race, with Rafa Nadal trailing by two titles, Djokovic was the only one left to compare himself to.
Djokovic is no longer playing like he did in 2015, the season in which he swept 11 titles in 15 finals, defeating three other "Big 4" players with a total score of 15-4, including a 4-0 victory over Nadal. At 36, Djokovic is attacking more and defending less to shorten the duration of the match. But one thing remains unchanged: he still consistently wins crucial points.
Djokovic's formula for each season remains a smooth start at the Australian Open, considered "lucky ground" where he has remained undefeated for half a decade. Nole won his 10th title last year – almost double the record of six titles set by home legend Roy Emerson and Roger Federer many years earlier.
Djokovic describes Australia as his happy place. Even a muscle tear couldn't stop Nole from winning the 2021 title. "The more you win in one place, the more confident you become for your next appearance there," Djokovic said about the Australian Open during the United Cup last week.
As tennis courts and balls become faster and stronger each season, the aging of his body is a major obstacle for Djokovic. He admits that he doesn't move as well as he used to, making defense increasingly difficult. Djokovic is forced to take the initiative early, switch positions quickly, and finish shots as hard as possible.
High-speed tracking devices, meticulously analyzed by the British company Tennis Viz and Tennis Data Innovations – a joint venture between the ATP Tour and ATP Media – demonstrate that Djokovic has transformed from a defensive counter-attack specialist into someone who seeks to attack at every possible opportunity.
Serving is the first detail Djokovic needs to improve as he pursues an aggressive, energy-saving style of play. In his peak season of 2015, he was only a fairly good server, averaging 185 km/h. Since working with coach Ivanisevic, a serving specialist, Djokovic has upgraded his serve to a new level. From 2019 to 2023, his serve averaged 193 km/h.
Djokovic's improvement doesn't come from better racket manufacturing technology or lighter balls. His average serve speed on the ATP Tour over the years has barely increased, only rising from 186 to 188 km/h. This means that while his rivals have remained stagnant or improved very little, Djokovic has leapfrogged his own previous performance and the general standard.
With improved serve speed, Djokovic's serve quality has also improved. Data from Tennis Data Innovations shows that Nole's first serve in 2023 was 5cm closer to the line than in 2015 and 8cm closer than the ATP average. This is important on any court surface, but the difference is most pronounced on the fast-moving hard court at Melbourne Park. A serve on this court would almost certainly send the ball sliding out of the opponent's reach immediately.
Average distance from the ball landing point to the line, during Djokovic's (yellow) and the rest of the ATP Tour (blue) serves in 2015 and 2023. Photo: TennisViz
Djokovic's return of serve has also improved, despite his long-standing reputation as a return specialist. Statistics show that Djokovic's success rate in returning second serves to his opponent's backhand in 2023 is 47%, higher than the 39% of 2015. This allows him to put himself in a better attacking position immediately after the return. Nole's conversion rate of points after taking an attacking position is the highest on the ATP Tour at 72.1%.
How does Djokovic score points so consistently? A forehand that's about 4 km/h faster is one of the key factors. In 2015, Djokovic's forehand averaged 120 km/h, but now it reaches 124 km/h. Djokovic also hits the ball earlier than before, when his attacking position is 60 cm closer to the court. Therefore, Djokovic takes away a few seconds of recovery and preparation from his opponents, thus making their breathing more restricted.
Being more aggressive in attack means Djokovic reduces the number of defensive actions, the number of balls he has to chase, and the number of swings. This certainly suits a player nearing 40. It's quite similar to how Federer played in the later years of his career, but definitely more consistent and wiser, as Djokovic has a better defensive foundation than his Swiss predecessor.
Djokovic's opponents now have almost only one option: attack before being attacked. They must force Djokovic to run more, play more defensively, and wear him down physically, just as Djokovic did more than a decade ago against his formidable contemporaries. Former world number one Andy Roddick once lamented: "First Djokovic takes away your legs, then your head." Learning from Djokovic to beat him is what today's players need to do to stop the most powerful winning machine in history.
Djokovic saves a ball during a match at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, in November 2023. Photo: Reuters
"Winning more titles, breaking more records is what motivates me every day. There's no secret about that," Djokovic said before the start of the 2024 season. He aims to win more Grand Slams, the Davis Cup, and unprecedented glory – an Olympic gold medal. Nole enjoys crushing the ambitions of young talents. Two generations of Next Gen have emerged, but none have yet managed to make Djokovic relinquish his throne.
"If you want me off the ATP Tour, you'll have to kick me in the backside," Djokovic challenged his younger counterparts, while his father urged him to retire after 2024 as he has already achieved enough glory.
Young players can also look to their luck, such as Djokovic withdrawing due to injury or some other issue. Nole recently suffered a minor wrist injury during preparations for the Australian Open. But last year, he won this Grand Slam with a serious hamstring injury that Ivanisevic described as something any other player would have withdrawn from. In 2021, Djokovic also triumphed with a torn abdominal muscle from the third round.
"I know what to do to maintain optimal physical condition," Djokovic said, adding that he still wants to play tennis even if it means traveling away from his family for weeks, even months at a time.
Djokovic's refusal to give up, his constant adaptation, improvement of his game, and relentless self-development, is perhaps a lesson that transcends the realm of tennis.
Vy Anh
Source link
Comment (0)