Djokovic: Amazing Standard

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, March 29, 2025

Picture credit score: Miami Open by Itau

Tennis is a numbers sport. 

Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic has spent his profession amassing dominant digits.

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The 37-year-old Serbian famous person has reached 142 finals, received 99 profession championships, together with 24 Grand Slam crowns, holds the ATP and WTA document for many weeks as world No. 1 (428) and he is earned a document $182 million, and counting, in prize cash.

So it takes a considerable stat to impress Djokovic.

The fourth-seed’s serving precision in Miami has struck Djokovic himself as an “superb, superb customary.”

In his most commanding service efficiency of the yr, served a mind-boggling 87 % as we speak, received 31 of 39 first-serve factors, fired 5 aces and confronted simply two break factors sweeping outdated buddy Grigor Dimitrov in a 70-minute semifinal. That adopted off an astounding serving efficiency that noticed him serve 84 % and pump 11 aces defeating Sebastian Korda in a bodily quarterfinal conquest.

“I believe I have been serving fairly properly this yr,” Djokovic advised the media in Miami. “Perhaps another parts in my sport have not been working significantly properly. However serve was stable. I imply, that is complete completely different stage of serving, clearly.

“I imply, I didn’t anticipate myself to prime the serving efficiency of final match, the place I had 83%, and I had 87% as we speak. I missed I believe 5 or 6 serves in the entire match. In order that’s actually superb, superb customary, actually excessive customary.”

Djokovic is holding serve at a price of 88.19% this season, which is seventh on the ATP Tour. Explosive Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard leads the ATP holding at 93.86%, Matteto Berrettini is second at 90.91% and American Taylor Fritz is third hodling at a 90.37%

Serving prowess has given the Open Period’s best returner a glimpse of the way it should really feel to be Reilly Opelka or Nick Kyrgios.

Contesting his first Miami Open since 2019, Djokovic mentioned the sooner serve velocity and the very fact he discovered his vary and rhythm on serve virtually instantly have propelled him to this eighth Miami Open remaining vs. Jakub Mensik.

“I have to say was joking with Tim Henman within the post-match interview that now I understand how it feels prefer to be Isner or Opelka, simply make most of your first serves,” Djokovic mentioned. “Perhaps not as many aces as these guys, however…

“However yeah, it does assist tremendously. It simply releases that pointless stress from all the opposite photographs in your sport. Then you may type of put extra stress on the return video games in your opponent.”

Corridor of Famer Andre Agassi has referred to as Djokovic the best returner of all time. Corridor of Famer John McEnroe calls Djokovic “the best mover on a tough courtroom I’ve ever seen on a tennis courtroom” and plenty of opponents have referred to as him the Open Period’s best groundstroker.

One facet of Djokovic’s sport that maybe would not get as a lot appreciation is his serve.

Earlier in his profession, Djokovic truly hit extra double faults than aces on season, however labored diligently to strengthen his serve.

Through the years, Djokovic labored with three coaches who have been dominant servers of their day—Goran Ivanisevic, Boris Becker and Todd Martin—and says his secret is he locations a premium on placement over energy to arrange his first strike. Djokovic mentioned he and new coach Andy Murray have put numerous work into his serve in practices.

“Clearly I am a baseline participant. Most of my profession return and backhand might be the photographs which have been talked about essentially the most relating to my sport and success,” Djokovic mentioned. “Perhaps the serve has been a bit underrated. However I all the time favored my serve, significantly relating to accuracy and precision. That is what I used to be in search of.

“I used to be by no means actually trying to ramp up the miles per hour on the serve. I imply, it is nice when you can serve 130-miles-an-hour serve, however I would somewhat serve 120 miles an hour and hit the road and hit the right spot within the field as a result of that is what both wins you some extent or provides you a straightforward first shot within the rally.”