Novak Djokovic just seems to find that "next gear" when he needs it most: Mary Joe Fernandez on the Serb's resilience in the pivotal moments of important matches

Former player Mary Joe Fernandez recently showered praise on Novak Djokovic for his resilience in pressure games. She presented her thoughts on Patrick McEnroe's podcast, 'Holding Court with Patrick McEnroe.'

Fernandez and McEnroe have been working together as colleagues at ESPN for several years and recently worked together as commentators during the 2023 Australian Open.

Patrick McEnroe asked Mary Joe Fernandez for her input on how well Novak Djokovic played at the 2023 Australian Open. He also questioned Fernandez on whether she was surprised to see the Serb lift his record 10th Australian Open trophy.

The American replied that she wasn't surprised to see him win the Grand Slam, especially since he is perpetually the one to beat at every tournament.

"He's definitely the one to beat every time he steps onto the court," Fernandez said.

Fernandez recalled watching the Serb play in the Adelaide International ahead of the Australian Open. She mentioned how he tweaked his hamstring while playing tough matches against Daniil Medvedev and Sebastian Korda and yet he played through it to win the tournament.

She praised the 35-year-old's resilience and ability to find the next gear in the moments where it's most required.

"He just seems to find that next gear when he needs it most," the former World No.4 asserted.

Fernandez further agreed with Brad Gilbert's view that Djokovic had tweaked his forehand to make it even more effective than in the past. She did, however, disagree with Gilbert's notion that the Serb had zero weaknesses in his game.

Fernandez gave the example of Holger Rune defeating Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Rolex Paris Masters. She spoke about Rune's strategy of forcing the 22-time Grand Slam champion to come up to the net with his drop shots and short-angled forehands.

Fernandez asserted that it was an effective strategy against the Serb but was very difficult to execute. She cited Roger Federer as a player who excelled at employing drop shots effectively.

"The only we remember doing it so well was Roger," she said.

Mary Joe Fernandez names Novak Djokovic's return of serve as the most effective in the history of tennis

Speaking on the same podcast, Mary Joe Fernandez said that it was difficult to name any glaring flaws in Djokovic's game. She praised his performance against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 2023 Australian Open final.

Fernandez believes that the World No.1's aggressive and defensive abilities trapped his opponents on both ends.

"He gets you from both ends," she sai

She also praised his serve as a convenient weapon to gain free points whenever he finds himself trailing in a game.

"His serve is a sneaky good weapon now," according to Fernandez.

Mary Joe Fernandez called the 22-time Grand Slam champion's return of serve as the best shot in tennis.

"That's the best shot in the game. Nobody returns better than Novak Djokovic," said Fernandez.

She mentioned Andre Agassi as having an exceptional return of serve but said that he tended to make guesses about where the serve would land and could be aced by players. Fernandez believes that Djokovic has the ability to read the serve better and return it with more power, putting his opponent under pressure right away.

Fernandez said that it would be very tough for anyone to beat the Serb if he remains healthy for the remainder of the season.

"He's going to be tough to beat this year if he stays healthy," she said.

Fernandez also expressed shock at Djokovic's return to the World No.1 position given that he played very few tournaments the previous year and did not receive any ranking points from his Wimbledon championship win. The American claimed that she was sure he would end the year as the highest-ranked player in the world.

Patrick McEnroe expressed his hope to see the World No.1 participate in the Indian Wells and Miami Masters. Novak Djokovic has applied for an exemption to play at the Sunshine Double next month.