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Novak Djokovic: not time for panic despite Australian Open loss

By Harry Floyd

Mar 27, 2016; Key Biscayne, FL, USA; Novak Djokovic hits a forehand against Joao Sousa (not pictured) during day six of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center. Djokovic won 6-4, 6-1. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2016; Key Biscayne, FL, USA; Novak Djokovic hits a forehand against Joao Sousa (not pictured) during day six of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center. Djokovic won 6-4, 6-1. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Novak Djokovic was upset at the Australian Open by Denis Istomin. The early exit for Nole shocked both him and the entire sport, but it’s not time to panic.

Novak Djokovic is under the magnifying glass as of late.

The Serbian is arguably the greatest active player in the sport of tennis. He is a twelve-time Grand Slam singles winner and held the world No. 1 ranking for 223 weeks. In late 2016, Andy Murray surged to dethrone Nole from the top ranking.

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Then, Djokovic saw a second round exit in the first Grand Slam of the 2017 calendar. The Australian Open is a tournament he has won exactly one-half of his major titles at. The six-time champion at Melbourne Park was stunned by Istomin.

Former coach Boris Becker says that Nole has won so much and been on top for so long that he has lost focus. He has reached the top of the sport and been dominant for so long that now he is focused on other priorities in life. What Becker says is his opinion and of course pure speculation.

Nole remains focused on tennis.

It is disappointing to see his early exit at Melbourne Park, but just a week before the first Grand Slam in tennis, Djokovic defeated world No. 1 Murray in a finals match at the Qatar Open. The Serbian won an extremely competitive tournament to kick off his 2017 tour.

To make the Qatar Open win even more significant, Djokovic defeated Murray having recently lost the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals to the Scot. Nole bounced back strong to start his 2017. While blowing his lead against Istomin in the second round at Melbourne Park is a shock, it is also a testament to the play of Istomin and the beast that is the Australian Open.

Even world No. 1 Murray and Angelique Kerber saw earlier than expected exits from Melbourne. Major tournaments have a way of crafting their own story-lines. It is not time for Djokovic and his fans to panic. The tennis world must wait and see how Novak Djokovic performs over the next several months before over-scrutinizing his play.

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