What flaws hide in the depths of Novak Djokovic's tennis game? The 24-time Grand Slam winner, and one of the best to ever dot it, has very few weaknesses, if any at all. And if he does, they sure don't show themselves that often. In fact, the Serbian is generally considered to be one of, if not the, most complete player in the sport's history.
If Djokovic has any flaw or the slightest crack in his armor, it's his sometimes knack for losing focus or composure in tight matches, which leads to a significant number of errors. Even in light of that, Djokovic is also considered one of the most mentally tough players in tennis. You don't win that many Grand Slams without being mentally tough.
So, while Djokovic's game is virtually flawless, that doesn't mean that there aren't some elements that are simply stronger than others. This is where Djokovic's serve comes into play, and it's also one of the aspects of his game that his ATP Tour peers recognize as an underrated part of his game, as retired tennis player Christopher Eubanks recently commented on.
Even Novak Djokovic doesn't believe his serve gets the attention or recognition it deserves
While recently appearing on Andy Roddick's podcast, Served, Eubanks, who never had a chance to face Djokovic in his tennis career, mentioned that many current players on tour believe that Djokovic's serve doesn't get applauded as much as it should. In otherwords, his serve is underrated.
In his career, Djokovic has landed 65% of his first serves, winning them 74% of the time. Points won coming off his second serve decrease significantly, though, at 55%. To compare two of Djokovic's greatest rivals, Roger Federer landed 62% of his first serves, winning 77% of them on points.
Rafael Nadal, on the otherhand, beat out both Federer and Djokovic on first serves landed at 68%, but had the lesser percentage of first service points won with 72%. For all three, their numbers fall into the more similar category rather than the far-apart one, suggesting that none of the three was all that far off from each another.
It is a fact, though, that Djokic's serve has never been seen as one of his biggest weapons, and last year, he even spoke to this, admitting that his own serve does not get the recognition it may be due, but that he believes accuracy and precision make his serve very dangerous.
“Obviously I’m a baseline player. Most of my career return and backhand are probably the shots that have been talked about the most when it comes to my game and success," He said during the 2025 Miami Open. “Maybe the serve has been a bit underrated, but I always liked my serve, particularly when it comes to accuracy and precision. That’s what I was looking for.”
He added: “I was never really looking to ramp up the miles per hour on the serve. I mean, it’s great if you can serve 130-miles-an-hour serve, but I’d rather serve 120 miles an hour and hit the line and hit the perfect spot in the box because that’s what either wins you a point or gives you an easy first shot in the rally.”
So, it wasn't all about how fast Djokovic could serve, but how precise and accurate serving slower could benefit him. The harder you hit, the more chances at losing accuracy increase — that goes for serving, a forehand shot, or a backhand. Eubanks would also claim that many tour players say Djokovic's serve is "clutch", and it has been, throughout his career.
Djokovic is currently playing high-level, quality tennis at 38 years old. Remarkable, but maybe not surprisingly, he made it to the Australian Open final — the 38th Grand Slam final he's advanced to. Clearly, Djokovic still has his game underneath him, and he's still seeking a 25th major, which would put him over Margaret Court’s all-time record. If he ever gets there, you can bet his underrated serve will play a massive role along the way.