MIAMI — After twenty years {of professional} tennis, 99 profession singles titles and 24 Grand Slam triumphs, Novak Djokovic has turn into a thriller — to tennis followers and to himself. Each events are attempting to reply the identical query, from match to match and match to match, as his profession strikes in the direction of an as-yet unknown finish.
Who’s the best participant of the trendy period at this second?
Is he the participant who light two weeks in the past towards Botic van de Zandschulp, in his opening match on the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif.? Or is he the participant who has plowed by means of his first three opponents in on the Miami Open the previous 5 days, together with Lorenzo Musetti, the world No. 16 from Italy?
Is he the participant whose return of serve, one of many biggest within the sport’s historical past, has been a shadow of its regular self? Or is he the participant who broke Musetti 5 occasions Tuesday night time on his technique to a 6-2, 6-2 win?
Is he the participant ramping up his schedule as he approaches his thirty eighth birthday, as a result of it’s his final spin across the tennis globe? Or is he the participant he described to the Miami crowd when he informed them, “You’re going to be seeing me just a few extra years.”
Relating to the topic of Novak Djokovic, Djokovic is like everybody else: all the time looking for the sign within the noise, looking for the information about himself and his tennis that may permit him to separate what issues from what doesn’t. At this second, there may be each an excessive amount of and never sufficient information to determine who and what the Djokovic of 2025 is. All these years later, however simply 14 matches into this season, he has turn into the game’s worldwide man of thriller — definitively not what he as soon as was, and looking for the reply of what he can be.
“I do hope and need for Novak that you just noticed tonight, after which on the similar time, I labored laborious to not have the Novak that was taking part in in Indian Wells,” Djokovic stated within the blended zone with reporters when his match with Musetti was over. “The continuity or consistency of the extent of tennis these days for me is tougher than it was years in the past or 10 years in the past, 5 years in the past, and I do know that.
“That’s positively not as a consequence of lack of hours spent on the follow court docket and within the fitness center as a result of I nonetheless hold the dedication. It’s there, however it’s simply makes it a bit tougher for me to keep up the extent.”
Djokovic resides by means of a standard false impression about what occurs to elite athletes declining from their peaks. The apexes keep sharp and accessible in fleeting moments, even after they want them most: Djokovic discovered his on his otherworldly run to the gold medal ultimately yr’s Paris Olympic Video games. It’s the soundness that erodes, the repetitions which can be needed to keep up their excellence.
Djokovic’s largest triumph this yr got here on the Australian Open, the place he beat Carlos Alcaraz within the quarterfinals after a collection of wins that had included severe dips in his degree, throughout which younger and inexperienced opponents discovered methods to harm him however couldn’t end him off.
Beautiful because it was, the victory was additionally one of many strangest tennis matches in reminiscence. Djokovic suffered a muscle tear within the first set, however in some way managed to win in 4, because of a heady cocktail of painkillers, adrenalin and an inexplicable Alcaraz breakdown. The Spaniard succumbed to the stress of taking part in Djokovic, of excited about his opponent’s tennis and his bodily situation greater than he was considering of his personal.
Three days later, Djokovic needed to retire from his semifinal towards Alexander Zverev on the finish of the primary set due to his muscle damage. When he arrived in Florida, he had not received a match since beating Alcaraz on that January night time in Melbourne.
In Miami, he has wins towards Rinky Hijikata, a 24-year-old Australian who has performed 13 Grand Slam matches, simply over half the variety of Grand Slam titles that Djokovic has received. He then beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli, a 25-year-old Argentine who has by no means received a Grand Slam match.
Each matches opened with a blowout set and ended with Djokovic profitable a tiebreak. It’s one of the crucial acquainted patterns in Djokovic matches through the years, simply inverted: the tight set to loosen all the pieces up earlier than the acceleration to victory swapped for a quick begin after which an ebbing finish.
Djokovic has eased by means of his opening matches on the Miami Open. (Geoff Burke / Imagn Photographs)
Then got here Musetti. On paper, he seemed like a professional menace. On the court docket, Djokovic picked up his head and noticed Serena Williams sitting within the stands. He checked out his field and noticed Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro, the retired Grand Slam champions. One his coach; the opposite his good pal. All these huge names made him just a little starstruck and nervous about taking part in effectively, particularly in entrance of Williams, the best feminine participant of all time.
Musetti’s elegant all-court sport fits grass, clay and sluggish laborious courts, however he stays fairly misplaced on quick ones. In opposition to the perfect hard-court participant within the historical past of the game, he broke serve within the first sport and surged to the phantasm of a 2-0 lead constructed on making the match bodily. Djokovic determined he wasn’t going to play a match like that and received the following 9 video games to grab management. Musetti confirmed about as a lot resistance as a swinging door.
On Wednesday night time, Djokovic will face Sebastian Korda, the younger and proficient American of a thousand renaissances, seemingly all the time on the cusp of saying himself. Korda, 24, continues to be looking for his means after a few years of wrist accidents; he acquired remedy on his wrist throughout his round-of-16 win over Gael Monfils on Tuesday.
Djokovic received their solely earlier assembly, in Adelaide, Australia, two years in the past. He would possibly get some extra information about their matchup and about himself Wednesday, however it’s not clear how match Korda can be to offer him what he wants. Djokovic at the least has no doubts about his desires: to maintain taking part in on the highest degree in an period when even the youngest gamers method the sport with a degree of professionalism unparalleled when he was beginning out.
“Health and restoration and simply general method to the work, from each bodily and psychological aspect has improved a lot,” he stated in Miami.
“These days, just about each participant within the high 30 on the planet has a full group of three and 4 individuals round them that takes care of them, their physique and all the pieces, in order that that displays on the court docket. That’s why the careers are prolonged now.”
When he launched into his skilled profession, gamers began counting their days after they hit 30, he stated. Now it’s extra like 35, perhaps extra.
“In fact I’m in that group. I’m not going to get youthful, however I nonetheless be ok with my physique and about my tennis.”
Which may be the information level that issues greater than all of the others.
(High picture: Al Bello / Getty Photographs)
