Novak Djokovic news: ‘It’s all a mystery with him’ after ‘mentally taxing’ period, says respected coach

Shahida Jacobs
March 29, 2022

All the signs were pointing to Novak Djokovic being “unstoppable” this year but it is now hard to know what to expect from the Serbian following his spell on the sidelines, according to renowned coach Brad Gilbert.

Djokovic was on a hot streak in 2021 as he won the first three Grand Slams of the year, but his dreams of a Calendar Grand Slam were dashed by Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final while he also missed out on a medal at the Tokyo Games.

This year has also not started on the right note as he was unable to defend his Australian Open title after he was deported from the country and was forced to miss the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open due to his Covid-19 vaccination stance.

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The 20-time Grand Slam winner is expected to play a full clay-court season and is set to defend his French Open and Wimbledon titles, but Gilbert – who mentored the likes of Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray during his esteemed coaching career – believes the past few months will have taken a toll on Djokovic.

“Before any of this with Covid happened, I thought that Novak Djokovic would be unstoppable around this time,” he told Patrick McEnroe on the Holding Court Podcast.

“[But now], it’s all just a mystery with him.

“I just think that when you get so much equity by winning matches, which he had tons of, and all of a sudden you’re not playing and all these things that happened with Covid, I think it’s been mentally taxing.”

He added: “I think even if he gets to play all through Europe, I gotta see results and I gotta see how he gets his game back.

“Maybe he will get it back.”

Brad Gilbert Novak Djokovic