"I see a better Novak Djokovic now than in 2020, there are no excuses with him"

Stefanos Tsitsipas has said that Novak Djokovic's current version is better than what the Serb was four years ago.

Djokovic, 36, remains the player to beat heading into the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, which starts this Sunday. Widely regarded as one of the best players to have graced the sport, the Super Serb is still going strong, with little signs of stopping anytime soon.

The World No. 1 is coming off a stellar 2023 season, reaching all four Grand Slam finals and winning three. Djokovic also won a record seventh ATP Finals last year in Turin and also became the first player - male or female - to complete 400 weeks atop the rankings.

Tsitsipas, who lost to Djokovic in last year's Australian Open final, praised him for continually evolving and keeping things simple. The Greek told the Guardian that there's no place to hide against Djokovic:

“He keeps improving constantly, and I see a better Novak Djokovic now than in 2020. Against Novak, you need to be in your best possible shape. There are no excuses with him.

"You can’t fool around for a single point, so your levels of concentration against him have to be the highest that you can reach. It’s difficult at times to fight back and find something because he has added a lot of strategy and simplicity as well. He doesn’t over-complicate things."

Commending Novak Djokovic for his 'mind-blowing' flexibility and shot-making 'precision', Tsitsipas added:

“His flexibility is mind-blowing, the way he can stretch and run, and also the precision of his shot-making. Not the tallest guy on the tour but he remains one of the toughest servers. Whenever we face Novak we know that this is a serious heist and most of the time it does not work out.”

Tsitsipas won one of his two matches in the United Cup last week, where Greece lost in the quarterfinals to eventual winners Germany.

How has Stefanos Tsitsipas fared against Novak Djokovic?

Stefanos Tsitsipas has won only two of his 13 meetings with Novak Djokovic. His losses in the remaining matches include two Grand Slam final defeats.

The Greek had a chance to capture his first Grand Slam when he took a two-set lead in the 2021 Roland Garros final. However, Djokovic fought back to claim the next three sets to become the first male player to win the double career Grand Slam.

Both of Stefanos Tsitsipas' wins against the Serb have come on hardcourt. But he will have to step up to dethrone the 10-time Australian Open champion next fortnight, considering Djokovic's current form and dominant head-to-head record.