Novak Djokovic is the best defensive player in the world but he's even better at Australian Open, says Serena Williams' ex-coach

Novak Djokovic’s defense and counter-attack is the best in the world, but he is an even better version of himself when he dictates proceedings like at the ongoing Australian Open, Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou has said.

The former World No. 1 entered the Melbourne Major as one of the favorites and is in contention for his 22nd Grand Slam title after reaching the semifinals for the 10th time. While things have turned out the way they were expected, such utter dominance from the nine-time Australian Open champion — at 35 — was unforeseen.

Reflecting on Djokovic's supremacy over the rest of the players in the tournament, Mouratoglou said that the Serb is the best in the world when it comes to defending and counter-punching but "an even better player when he is on top of the ball."

"Novak is the best player in the world when it comes to defend and counter punch but how much an even better player when he is on top of the ball and dictating like in the 2023 @AustralianOpen," the Frenchman wrote in his tweet.

The Serb's campaign so far in Melbourne has been effortless, winning four out of his five matches in straight sets, including against top-ranked players like Andrey Rublev, Alex de Minaur and Grigor Dimitrov. He has often been assertive with his approach, taking the game to the opponent rather than sitting back and countering.

He will resume his journey at the Australian Open on Friday when he takes on World No. 35 Tommy Paul in the semifinals.

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John McEnroe feels Novak Djokovic will get "more respect" from fans as time goes on

Novak Djokovic at the 2023 Australian Open

American tennis legend John McEnroe has praised Novak Djokovic following his quarterfinal win over Andrey Rublev, stating that the Serb will earn "more respect" from fans over time for his contributions to the sport.

During the quarterfinals, a heckler's repeated comments on the Serb interrupted play, forcing Djokovic to ask the chair umpire to intervene. McEnroe said that such fans will eventually respect the 21-time Grand Slam champion.

"In my book, he deserves more respect. I feel as time goes on, he will get more and more respect," said the American.

McEnroe further complimented the World No. 5 on his technical skills, adding that he expects the Serb to win the Grand Slam in Melbourne if he continues his great form.

"His style of play is so technically solid that it is sometimes taken for granted. His toughness and mental strength is also so impressive," asserted the 63-year-old. "If he is playing at the level we saw against [De Minaur], I expect him to win the tournament."