Novak Djokovic, ahead of the Australian Open, has hardly painted himself as the picture of positivity.
After all, having spoken about how far from Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner he feels, just after he had explained the injury he’s been suffering with of late, the Serbian had done a great job in reducing everyone’s expectations for him at the first Grand Slam of the year.
This is not the kind of attitude we have come to expect from the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who has been so confident and resolute throughout his sparkling career.
And yet, he was not done adding to the negative feeling he has cultivated, having since explained where he has got worse recently.
Novak Djokovic explains where he regressed
Speaking to Sportklub journalist Saša Ozmo, he explained how the introduction of Mark Kovacs to his coaching staff has actually regressed him in one key area.
Novak Djokovic began by stating: “We only worked together for seven or eight days in Athens, but it’s possible that we’ll work again. He is a very qualified and highly educated expert in biomechanics and the kinetic chain. That’s the main reason we brought him in – he is one of the most cited experts in tennis, has published numerous books and holds courses and lectures on these topics. We were looking for people who are the most relevant and credible in that field, people with experience.
How far do you think Novak Djokovic will go at the Australian Open?
“Boris (Bošnjaković) and I spent seven or eight days with him in Athens and it was really fantastic. We had room to work on certain segments of my game, which is always a priority for me. Of course, tactics and opponent analysis are always present, especially as tournaments approach, but when I have time, every year I try to work on myself and improve certain parts of my game compared to the previous year.”
However, he then added: “Now I feel that I don’t move like I used to. Maybe I’ve lost a few tenths in speed, anticipation and decision-making on the court compared to the period when I was dominating tennis – which is normal, it’s biology.
“At the stage of my career I’m in now, I need to compensate for what I’ve lost, to improve myself so that I can ‘hide’ my weaknesses and emphasise my strengths – in order to compete at the highest level with Alcaraz and Sinner, and with everyone else.”
This will have only added to a tumultuous past few weeks, made even more unsettling after Djokovic removed himself from the PTPA, which he founded.
When does Novak Djokovic start his Australian Open campaign?
Djokovic may have been rather disparaging about his chances at the Australian Open in the past few days, but when he steps out onto that court, that is swiftly expected to change.
And, should he enjoy a few routine and speedy wins in the early rounds, perhaps that narrative might start to shift.
You can bring one tennis legend out of retirement. Who do you pick and why?
At his best, he can compete technically with anyone on tour. It is just the physical assets that have let him down.
He gets his Australian Open campaign underway tomorrow against Pedro Martínez on Rod Laver Arena.
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