Does Novak Djokovic spot competitor weakness?

• Does Novak Djokovic spot competitor weakness
• The tennis great acknowledged that he keeps a careful eye on his rivals’ behaviors
• The 36-year-old enjoyed one of his greatest seasons to date in 2023

Does Novak Djokovic spot competitor weakness during the first few minutes of his matches?

He says this is a skill which he has honed and it has helped him better his tennis performance over the years.

The tennis great acknowledged that he keeps a careful eye on his rivals’ behaviour to try to gauge their emotional or physical state and use that information to his advantage.

The 36-year-old enjoyed one of his greatest seasons to date in 2023, winning seven titles, six of which were from “big tournaments.”

He captured a record-tying ninth ATP Finals title in addition to winning three of the four Grand Slam events, bringing his total of Major victories to a men’s record of 24.

With 12 Grand Slam victories under his belt in his 30s, the world No. 1 has an incredible 12-3 record in major finals.

At the 2023 US Open in September, Djokovic became the youngest Grand Slam champion ever, with only Ken Rosewall and Roger Federer having accomplished the feat.

Novak Djokovic during a tennis match. Photo/Sky Sports

How Does Novak Djokovic Spot Competitor Weakness?

So how does he do it and remain relevant for many years? In a nutshell, he maintains steady eye contact and critically analyses whether or not they are tensed.

“Even though there’s no physical contact in tennis, there’s still a lot of eye contact when we’re changing ends, when we’re sitting on the bench, and then the big screen shows him, how he drinks his water,” the Serbian to 60 Minutes in an interview.

“And then I’m looking at him, how is he drinking water? Is he sweating more than usual? Is he breathing deeply or not deeply? And then I look how he is communicating with his team. You know, you have all these different elements that are in play that really affect the performance in the game itself.”

What is Novak Djokovic’s Weakness?

With 24 Grand Slam victories to his name, what would be Djokovic’s weakness in tennis? With his excellent volleys, Djokovic is as strong at the net as anyone, but his major shortcoming is that he still struggles with overhead shots.

Despite this, it is still important to understand how to neutralize Djokovic’s smash, which has been a weakness throughout his career.

Even with his skill in other areas of the game, Djokovic has never been able to produce strong and efficient smashes. His propensity to force the ball back into play instead of firmly putting it away is one way that this problem shows up.

Novak Djokovic. Photo/The New York Times

The reason behind Djokovic’s difficulties with smashing is his placement and timing. He frequently misjudges the direction of the ball and lets it fall too near to his body, which makes it harder for him to muster the force needed for a strong smash.

He also regularly hits the ball with a bent elbow, which lessens the force and precision of his overhead strokes. When pressed for time, he finds it hard to commit to this shot.

Occasionally, Djokovic mistimes his racket swing, producing in uncomfortable and ineffectual contact with the ball, even when he tries to fully extend his arm. This discrepancy highlights his challenges in perfecting the smash even more.

Novak Djokovic. Photo/CNN

Djokovic has proven himself to be a master of the tennis court throughout his storied career, displaying incredible control and precision in his strokes. But Djokovic has occasionally struggled when it comes to hitting overhead smashes. This weakness has shown itself at pivotal times, especially in close games.

One noteworthy incident was against Andy Murray in the 2013 Wimbledon final. Murray gained the upper hand and won the match because Djokovic missed an overhead chance at the net.

In the Wimbledon final versus Carlos Alcaraz the previous year, the same circumstance occurred. At a crucial time, Djokovic chose to volley rather than smash, which led to a lost break point and eventual loss.