Novak Djokovic told key area of his game is ‘not where it used to be’ by tennis great

Ewan West 29 May 2024 9:27 AM

Novak Djokovic reacts during his match

Mats Wilander assessed that Novak Djokovic’s return of serve is “not where it used to be” or “where it needs to be” after his French Open win against Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

Djokovic started his title defence at Roland Garros with a 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-4 opening round victory against world No 142 Herbert on Tuesday.

The world No 1 broke Herbert three times, but had some trouble handling the 33-year-old French wildcard’s serve. It was just a second encounter between the pair, with Djokovic having beaten Herbert at the Paris Masters in 2013.

The 37-year-old tennis legend is looking to win his fourth French Open title and 25th Grand Slam crown overall. The Serbian is seeking his first title of 2024, having last reached a final in November — when he won the ATP Finals in Turin.

Wilander, a seven-time Grand Slam champion and former world No 1, gave his assessment of Djokovic’s performance against Herbert.

“The only expectation I had for Novak was to win. He’s not going to lose this match, but it’s not easy to play someone who serves and volleys,” the Swede told Eurosport.

“He looked a little bit off balance, but I got what I expected, which was a three-set straight victory for Novak. I think Pierre-Hugues started playing better [in the second set] for sure, started feeling a little more comfortable.

“Most probably, he would’ve felt like: hold on a second, Novak isn’t playing at his best, I’ve got a chance here to maybe win a set.

“At the same time, Novak complained a few times that the ball was moving in the air. The roof was open for I believe the first match today on Philippe-Chatrier, maybe the second.

“It was tough conditions. It’s very cold, the ball doesn’t fly very far or very fast and then it moves sideways.

“His return of serve is definitely not where it used to be, where it needs to be and it’s difficult to do on a clay court with such a big serve and so much spin from Pierre-Hugues. In the end he goes out, he’s focused, he wins, the crowd is against him, he loves that.”

Former world No 4 Tim Henman also gave his thoughts on the match: “I think if it goes to one set all, everyone is thinking could there be an upset on the cards?

“But in those biggest moments, and certainly – with all due respect – against someone like Herbert on clay, you just sensed that Djokovic was going to go into that lockdown mode where he doesn’t make any unforced errors. To go two sets to love up, it just gives him a great cushion.

“Djokovic is one of the few players who can really play their way into form in a Grand Slam. I think the others are just trying to win each and every match. This was a great draw, I think Herbert deserves a lot of credit.”

Djokovic will face world No 63 Roberto Carballes Baena in the second round at the Paris Grand Slam.