Around this time last year, the world was at Novak Djokovic's feet. He was riding along a stream of victories that had led him to a cornucopia of small and big titles. With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal struggling and Andy Murray eons behind in the ATP rankings, the 'Big 4' had transformed into the 'Big 1'.
Then, the Career Grand Slam happened. And after that, everything changed.
The cloak of invincibility wrapped around him started unraveling slowly but surely. He lost to Sam Querrey in the 2nd round of Wimbledon, then to Juan Martin del Potro in the 1st round of the Olympics, which was followed by a loss to Stan Wawrinka in the finals of the US Open and a defeat against Murray in the finals of the ATP World Tour Finals – the last of which also cost him his World No. 1 ranking.
2017 started well for the Serb, when he won the title in Doha. The final, between a resurging Djokovic and a determined Murray, was one of the best matches the duo has ever produced. However, just as the world thought Djokovic was gathering momentum again, he fell to the then world no.117, Denis Istomin, in the 2nd round of his beloved Australian Open.
Something is definitely not right. The World No. 2 is no longer an immutable force. However, it would be foolish to rule out the possibility of him making a strong comeback.
Here are the five things he can do to revamp his challenge this season –
#5 The Indian Wells and Miami title sweep
The two ATP Masters 1000 events are a lot more than just 2,000 points to defend for Djokovic. They are like castles he can always go back to when he is feeling unsure in other battles. The slow hard courts on both the surfaces suit his game seamlessly and bring out his best.
He won both the titles in 2011, 2014, 2015 and in 2016, the last of which also marked his record 28th Masters Title and a hat trick of the IW-Miami title sweep, a feat that hadn’t been achieved by anyone before him. The Serb has managed to win Miami six times and Indian Wells five times over the span of his career.
These tournaments probably are the most prestigious events in tennis after the Grand Slams. If the World No. 2 manages to defend his titles here, it will do a world of good to his self-belief, and to his ranking! Moreover, whenever he has managed to win both the tournaments in a go, the rest of his season has always accelerated from there.
Winning at Indian Wells and Miami will help him regain his confidence and spirit, as they are places that he knows won’t disappoint him ever.
#4 Roland Garros title defence
It's difficult to understand the relationship between Djokovic and this tournament. Was it the mountain to climb – or the pebble in his shoe?
Their tale cannot be told in an intone narration – it is a complex diorama of high octane emotions and even higher levels of tennis.
Today, Roland Garros for Djokovic is nothing but the sun that he chased for years together and when he finally got it, he was burned by its light. He had come excruciatingly close numerous times – his unbelievably tight matches against Nadal and his loss in the 2015 final to Wawrinka kept adding to that void in his RG trophy cabinet.
Novak’s hard earned Career Grand Slam and the slump that followed it tell us why the ultimate success doesn’t (and shouldn’t) come easily to anyone. Achieving it after years of longing and hard work rattles you, and makes you feel purposeless and lost amidst a swirl of emotions.
That is exactly what happened to Djokovic after his victory in Paris last year.
He held all the four Slams at the same time – it was an indelible achievement, especially after the heartbreaks, disappointments and ‘oh-poor-Nole’ moments that he had to endure for his French Open title.
But today, almost a year after his historic victory, Djokovic is at a crossroads again. Once again he needs to win the Roland Garros to prove himself, just that it is for different reasons this time around. If he manages to defend his trophy in Paris with a strong Nadal and a dominant Murray lurking in the midst, it would bring him right to the party once again.
The circle would be complete. The 29-year-old will have come back to his trial zone after a year of relative failure, to find success by reigning over a kingdom that was never supposed to be his in the first place!
#3 Regain his colossal fitness levels
Djokovic has been disconcerted by injuries in the past few months. His shoulder injury after Wimbledon, his wrist troubles during the US Open and his withdrawal from China due to his elbow woes, all point in a single direction – a dip in the fitness and health levels of the champion.
This May, the World No. 2 will turn 30. Guarding one’s health and retaining high fitness levels are extremely important at this stage of an athlete’s career.
Djokovic was a player who used to retire mid-match due to innumerable health-related reasons. After that, he turned his diet around to develop an agile, machine like physique that could beat even Nadal in the longest Grand Slam final in tennis history.
Today, it seems like his ability to stretch himself to the maximum limits during every point is waning bit by bit. For a player who relies as much on defence as Djokovic does, this is a danger sign. He must stick to a diet that suits him the best and develop the right exercise regime.
When it comes to athletes, physical fitness is a measure of time. And, as they say, time is wealth.
#2 Find the right coach – in Andre Agassi!
A perfect pair if there ever was any! Agassi has always said that he is not inclined towards coaching – but can he truly give up the golden opportunity of working with Djokovic if it does present itself to him?
Djokovic and Agassi have stark similarities – their powerful and attacking returns, their long wait for the RG crown, their strong game from the back of the court and maybe, their strong comeback after a mediocre season. (They have the same zodiac sign too!)
Most people criticise Djokovic’s move of bringing Pepe Imaz to his support staff. However, that kind of move need not be discouraged. Djokovic is a person who has always embraced different kinds of cultures and has tried different things. Now, if he wants to add another dimension to his training, he shouldn’t be criticised for the same.
However, another full-time only-tennis coach is an absolute requirement for Djokovic right now. Agassi fits the role effortlessly. Because of personal reasons, the American spiralled down to World No.141 from being the World No. 1 in the span of a year. However, he made one of the strongest comebacks in the history of the game to win the French Open after his dark slump. Today, Djokovic needs guidance from someone just like that.
Talking about the technicalities of the Serb's game, he has this intrinsic ability to turn defence into offence with a single shot. With Agassi on board, Djokovic can turn that into a lethal weapon.
Djokovic's serve has never been his biggest suit, and the story was the same with Agassi. However, Agassi’s serve improved steadily throughout the length of his career. Djokovic too has developed this uncanny capability of serving himself out of trouble, more often than not. But Agassi can help him hone those skills even further and create a stronger wall of defence around the Serb’s game.
Before the 2015 French Open, Djokovic said that he was always inspired by Agassi’s struggle to win Roland Garros. After the Australian Open this year, Agassi said that it would not be difficult for Djokovic to bounce back from his loss of form.
If they manage to do that together, it would be some story to tell!
#1 Find the drive once again
Last year, when Djokovic had achieved almost everything that there is to achieve in the game of tennis, his motivation seemed to dwindle. He lost purpose and faced a lot of mental demons through the rest of the year.
He needs to regain that purpose now.
Juxtaposing his 2015-16 season with his 2016-17 season, we can see a vivid difference between the two. In the span of less than 12 months, the Serb has transformed from a boundless beast to an apprehensive veteran. However, Djokovic has always worked the best in the toughest quagmires.
His war-torn childhood led him to pick up the racket for a sport most people in his country didn’t even know about.
His gluten intolerance and mid-match retirements led him to a diet and exercise regime that made him one of the fittest players on tour.
His eternal struggle at the No. 3 position behind Federer and Nadal led him to the Davis Cup in 2010 and he followed it up with three Grand Slams in 2011.
His big match slump from the 2012 French Open to the 2014 Australian Open saw him lose six out of seven Grand Slam finals. He responded with an unstoppable 2015, a season that is considered to be one of the best by an individual player in tennis.
Djokovic has a tough road ahead of him. He has lost his numero uno ranking to Murray and now has a plethora of points to defend till Roland Garros. Federer and Nadal are back at their best and Murray looks as impervious as ever.
The Serb is in a difficult situation right now. Isn’t that what he is best at, though? Whenever his back is against the wall, he uses the wall for support to spring right up!
“You learn from your losses. Life gives you moments that can make you stronger and show you your own abilities”, Djokovic said last week. If he makes good on those words, there's no reason why he won't be at the top of tennis very soon.
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