One of my favourite memories as a tennis player was practising with Novak Djokovic in Marbella before this season got underway. You read a lot about his novel training methods but what really struck me was his work ethic.
On the Sunday evening, I popped down to the gym for a blast in the sauna before bed. It was 9.30pm and most people were switching off for the weekend. I could hear some banging around next-door and it was Djokovic and his trainer, doing a late-night session on the Reformer Pilates machines.
That moment summed him up. He’s a very polite guy — quite the opposite to his pantomime villain image — but I’ve never met anyone so hellbent on winning. That round-the-clock dedication is one of the reasons why, in my opinion, he is the greatest player we have ever seen.
Throughout his career, it seems like Djokovic has to do a bit more than everyone else to prove himself. He arrived on the scene when Roger Federer was the perfect sportsman and Rafa Nadal was the ultimate grinder. They were the poster boys of tennis and there wasn’t much room for anyone else. They had these massive commercial goldmines away from the court and Djokovic was left out.
Djokovic has never had this shiny life away from the court so all of his focus was on tennis. He grinded out results in the background and quietly overtook them all. Now I’m tipping him to beat Carlos Alcaraz and win his 25th Grand Slam crown, which also moves him ahead of Margaret Court.
Alcaraz won last year’s final but Djokovic is looking better than he did 12 months ago. Being at the top for years on end must be fatiguing. It’s a stress that most of us can’t relate to and there were moments last year when Djokovic looked frustrated on the court. At one point during last year’s final, he whacked his racket on the net post in frustration as the setbacks took their toll.
He surprised us all by turning up at Wimbledon after knee surgery this year and it looks like he’s reset his focus. He looks calmer and happier within himself. He fired a few shots at the crowd on Monday night but he did it all with a twinkle in his eye. There aren’t many players who would have the self-belief to say that and also get away with it. It made a few entertaining headlines in the newspapers and it actually took some of the focus off how well he played.
At no point during this Championship has Djokovic looked in real trouble. He’s had a smoother run and if he plays with aggression then I think he will edge it. Where Alcaraz kills a lot of his opponents is through his shot variation. Most players can’t live with that variation but Djokovic can. You play that variation to get a slower ball back but Djokovic can step on it with his power and his spin.
There were very few aces last year so I expect some long rallies. Alcaraz will want to dictate them with his forehand, but Djokovic can win if he comes forward to finish the points.
At 37, Djokovic is 16 years older than Alcaraz and if he pulls this off then it puts him on a different planet in tennis terms. If he wins, surely there will be no one left to argue that he is not the greatest tennis player we have ever seen.
The thing about sport is greatness often doesn’t get recognised until it’s gone. Right now, we’re seeing a flood of recognition for Andy Murray. One day, everyone will look back and appreciate how good Djokovic has really been.
