MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – APRIL 06: Novak Djokovic of Serbia speaks to the media during day one of the … More
Novak Djokovic might want to check in with his old adversary Roger Federer about how to get over the line for a 100th tour level title. After the near miss in Miami with defeat in the final against rising star Jakub Mensik, Djokovic’s clay court swing opens up with a Monte-Carlo Masters opener on Wednesday. Alejandro Tabilo, who defeated him in Rome last year for the loss of just five games, is the opponent.
Federer had to wait five months from winning the Swiss Indoors in October 2018 to the Dubai Championships in March 2019 to complete the century. Djokovic is still waiting to bring up the hundred after securing that prized Olympic title against Carlos Alcaraz last August in Paris. The recently retired Rafael Nadal “only” claimed 92.
It could be that the 100th is weighing a little heavier than usual on Djokovic, like a Test match cricket batsman getting extra nervous on 99 not out, desperately searching for the single to bring up the milestone. When everyone else thinks winning is a formality, it only gets harder. On the other hand, his level in Miami was superb up until the last match with almost an 80 per cent first serve success. An eye infection didn’t help the cause.
“Ever since I won my 99th, I’ve been playing with the prospect of winning the special hundred titles,” Djokovic said after beating Grigor Dimitrov in the semi-finals at Miami. “I played finals of Shanghai. I was close there. Semi-finals of Australia. Then been trying to find that necessary and much-needed level of tennis that will put me in a position to fight for a trophy, a big trophy.”
Monte Carlo is not necessarily that big trophy. Djokovic’s expectations sound muted coming into the red dust from the hard courts with his last title at Monaco back in 2015. What gets the world No. 5 salivating is the thought of a 25th slam.
When Federer won his 20th and final major at Melbourne in January 2018, it completed a comeback trail of three majors within 12 months for the then 36-year-old. Djokovic’s last Grand Slam was the 2023 U.S. Open at the same age. Like Federer, Djokovic is still able to compete at the business end of the big ones, even joking that “36 is the new 26” before falling to Alcaraz in the 2023 Wimbledon final.
Federer’s last Slam final was in July 2019 when he outperformed the Serb on all key metrics apart from that rather important one called the scoreline. As a 37-year-old, the Swiss looked like he was still in prime shape on that day until Father Time showed him a red card as COVID-19 brought sport to its knees. Federer’s knee surgery finished his competitiveness at the top. Djokovic’s legs have begun to stagger the long way down the ladder too.
As the French Open comes into view, memories of Djokovic pulling up wounded after reaching the quarter-finals last year come flooding back. Incredibly, after surgery on the meniscus in his right knee, he reached the final of Wimbledon where he ran into a ruthless Alcaraz.
Djokovic is just a month or so away from his 38th birthday and is increasingly open about motivation dipping. Nadal and Federer’s hopes of a flourish before retirement were ultimately frustrated by their battered bodies. Djokovic still pushes himself through the pain barrier, but the Mr Incredible elasticity is being stretched to its sinews. How he beat Alcaraz at the Australian Open is a thing of mental mystery after an upper thigh muscle tear restricted movement. The problem is following it up. He had to withdraw against Zverev in the semis.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts from an injury while playing against Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz during … More
The only thing that counts for the Serb is lifting one of the big four trophies as the sceptre of 40 approaches. At the moment, the 24-time major winner is stuck at a repeating deuce.
There’s something quite neat about chasing a 100th title and a 25th slam. If both came together in one fell swoop, Djokovic would probably retire a very happy man. On the other hand, when he beat Federer in that scintillating SW19 encounter, the seven-time Wimbledon champion agreed with the eight-time Wimbledon champion about age when he said: “Like Roger said, it’s just a number.” There’s still fuel in the tank.
Djokovic’s number isn’t up just yet whatever happens in Monte Carlo.
