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 celebrity has reached 142 finals, received 99 profession championships, together with 24 Grand Slam crowns, holds the ATP and WTA file for many weeks as world No. 1 (428) and he is earned a file $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 normal.”
In his most commanding service efficiency of the yr, served a mind-boggling 87 % in the present day, received 31 of 39 first-serve factors, fired 5 aces and confronted simply two break factors sweeping outdated good friend Grigor Dimitrov in a 70-minute semifinal.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 feel I have been serving fairly effectively this yr,” Djokovic advised the media in Miami. “Perhaps another parts in my sport have not been working notably effectively. However serve was stable. I imply, that is complete totally different stage of serving, clearly.
“I imply, I didn’t count on myself to prime the serving efficiency of final match, the place I had 83%, and I had 87% in the present day. I missed I feel 5 or 6 serves in the entire match. In order that’s actually superb, superb normal, actually excessive normal.”
Djokovic is holding serve at a fee 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 biggest 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 actual fact he discovered his vary and rhythm on serve nearly instantly have propelled him to this eighth Miami Open last vs. Jakub Mensik.
“I need to say was joking with Tim Henman within the post-match interview that now I understand how it feels wish 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 pictures in your sport. Then you’ll be able to form 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 court docket I’ve ever seen on a tennis court docket” and plenty of opponents have referred to as him the Open Period’s biggest 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.
Over time, Djokovic labored with three coaches who had 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 a whole lot of work into his serve in practices.
“Clearly I am a baseline participant. Most of my profession return and backhand might be the pictures which have been talked about essentially the most in the case of my sport and success,” Djokovic mentioned. “Perhaps the serve has been a bit underrated. However I at all times appreciated my serve, notably in the case of accuracy and precision. That is what I used to be searching for.
“I used to be by no means actually seeking to ramp up the miles per hour on the serve. I imply, it is nice if you happen to can serve 130-miles-an-hour serve, however I might reasonably serve 120 miles an hour and hit the road and hit the proper spot within the field as a result of that is what both wins you a degree or provides you a straightforward first shot within the rally.”
