Miami – After 20 years of professional tennis, 99 career single titles and 24 grand slam victory, Novak Djokovic has become a mystery to tennis fans and himself. Both parties are trying to answer the same questions, from matches to tournaments, as his career moves towards an unknown end.
Who is the best player of today?
Is he the player who played Botican Van Desand Schulp two weeks ago in the opening match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California? Or are you the players who have cultivated their first three opponents at the Miami Open over the past five days, including Italy's 16th place in the world Lorenzo Musetti?
Is he a player whose return of Serve, one of the greatest things in the history of sport, was his usual self? Or is the player who broke Musetti five times on Tuesday night on his way to a 6-2, 6-2 victory?
Is he the player setting up his schedule as he approaches his 38th birthday? Or is he the player he explained to the Miami crowd?
When it comes to Novak Djokovic's subject, Djokovic is the same as everyone else. I'm always looking for noise signals, looking for data about myself and his tennis. At this point, there is not much data and enough data to figure out who and what Djokovic is in 2025. A few years later, but in just 14 games this season, he became the international mystery man of the sport.
“I hope you saw tonight, and at the same time I worked so hard not to have Novak playing in the Indian well,” Djokovic said in the mixed zone with reporters as the match against Mumetti was over. “For me, the level of continuity or consistency in tennis today is more challenging than it was five years ago, five years ago, and I know that.
“It's definitely not because I still have no time spent on the practice court or the gym because I'm still defending my dedication. It's there, but maintaining the level is a little more challenging.”
Djokovic lives through a general misconception about elite athletes declining from their peak. Apex discovered he won a gold medal in his otherworldly run at last year's Parisilympics. It is the repetition necessary to maintain stability, excellence that is erosed.
Djokovic's biggest victory this year took place at the Australian Open. There he scored a series of wins that included serious dips at his level before defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter final.
Surprisingly, victory was also one of the strangest tennis matches in memory. Djokovic suffered a muscle laceration in the first set, but somehow managed to win with four thanks to painkillers, adrenaline and an inexplicable Alkaraz breakdown. The Spaniard succumbed to the stress of playing Djokovic and thought more about his opponent's tennis and his physical condition than he had thought of himself.
Three days later, Djokovic had to retire from the semi-finals against Alexander Zverev at the end of the first set due to muscle damage. When he arrived in Florida, he hadn't won a match since beating Alcaraz on a January night in Melbourne.
In Miami, he won against Linky Hijikata, a 24-year-old Australian who played more than half of the Grand Slam titles won by Djokovic. He then defeated 25-year-old Argentina Kamilogo Karabeli, who never won a Grand Slam match.
Both matches opened in a blowout set, ending with Djokovic winning a tiebreak. This has been one of the best known patterns of Djokovic's matches over the years and has just been reversed. Slow everything down before accelerating to victory, swap for a fast start, then the end of the shrimp.
Djokovic eased the opening match at the Miami Open. (Geoff Burke/Imagn image)
Then came Musetti. On paper, he looked like a legitimate threat. At the courthouse, Djokovic picked up his head and saw Serena Williams sitting in the stands. He saw his box and saw Andy Murray and retired Grand Slam champion Juan Martin del Potro. One of his coaches. The other is his good friend. All of these big names made him a bit of a starstruck and were nervous about playing well, especially in front of Williams, the best female player of all time.
Musetti's elegant all-court game matches grass, clay and slow hard courts, but he remains reasonably lost in the fast ones. Against the best hardcourt player in the history of the sport, he beat serves in the first game and surged into the illusion of a 2-0 lead built to make the match physical. Djokovic decided he was not going to play such a match and won the next nine games to grab control. Musetti showed as much resistance as the swinging door.
On Wednesday night, Djokovic appears to be presenting himself constantly against Sebastian Korda, a young and talented American from the thousand Renaissance. Korda, 24, is still trying to find her own path, years after her wrist injury. He received wrist treatment on Tuesday when he won 16 times over Gael Monfils.
Djokovic won the only previous conference held in Adelaide, Australia two years ago. He may get some more data about his matchups and himself on Wednesday, but it's not clear how suitable Korda is to give him what he needs. Djokovic has no doubts about his desires at least. Even the youngest player is to continue playing at the highest level of his time when he approaches the game with the unprecedented level of professionalism he was starting out.
“My overall approach to work has improved dramatically from fitness and recovery, both from my physical and mental aspects,” he said in Miami.
“Today, almost every player in the top 30 in the world has a complete team of three and four who care for them, their bodies and everything, and that's reflected on the court. That's why their careers are expanding now.”
When he embarked on a professional career, players began counting days he hit 30, he said. It's now similar to 35.
“Of course I'm in that group. I'm not going to be younger, but I still feel better about my body and my tennis.”
That could be a more important data point than everything else.
(Photo above: Al Bello/Getty Images)
