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What comes next for Novak Djokovic?

By Keshav Gopalan

ROME, ITALY - MAY 19: Novak Djokovic of Serbia in action against Rafael Nadal of Spain in the semi finals during day seven of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2018 tennis at Foro Italico on May 19, 2018 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
ROME, ITALY - MAY 19: Novak Djokovic of Serbia in action against Rafael Nadal of Spain in the semi finals during day seven of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2018 tennis at Foro Italico on May 19, 2018 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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Novak Djokovic has had a good week in Rome. From beating an in-form Kei Nishikori in three tight sets to pushing Nadal to the brink in one of the finest sets of tennis all season, doubts of resurgence have, at least partially, been put away. Djokovic’s kryptonite was his lack of consistency.

This was mostly because of the adjustments in his game to better accommodate his elbow (lighter racquet, different service). The elbow had an effect initially on how he served (which has improved massively) as well as his forehand and backhand, which until very recently always looked incomplete and clunky. His positioning has improved, so has his movement and footwork. But does this mean that it’s only moving upwards for the Serbian?

French Open

Djokovic enters the French Open as the 21st seed and defends 360 points.  There are high expectations for Djokovic to perform well, and while those aren’t unreasonable in any way, it’s important to note that this is not the first time Novak has peaked in one tournament, only to disappear in the next. As mentioned, consistency is key.

There is also the fact that he’s the 21st seed, which means that it is likely for him to get a tougher draw. It is even possible for him to meet the likes of Rafael Nadal or Alexander Zverev in the third or the fourth round, which for obvious reasons will be very difficult to overcome.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 12: Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a backhand during the Gentlemen’s Singles quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of The Czech Republic on day nine of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 12, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 12: Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a backhand during the Gentlemen’s Singles quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of The Czech Republic on day nine of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 12, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /

Grass Season

If Novak crashes out early in the French Open, there is the grass season, where, despite the number of points he defends (in comparison to the points he has), he is more likely to do better where the surface is faster and the points are shorter, as well as having more opportunities to rack up points in either Queens or Halle, if he chooses to do so.

Next: Rafael Nadal seeks 11th career title at Roland Garros

Summer Hard Court Season

Now this is an area where Novak can shine. Hard court is his strongest surface and with the extended number of matches that will be under his belt after Wimbledon, it is highly likely that he’ll perform significantly better. Whether that’ll happen or not is a big if, but the likelihood doesn’t look too shabby.

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