Novak Djokovic’s younger rivals to make use of his techniques in opposition to him at Wimbledon
Novak Djokovic is already the person to beat at Wimbledon with the event nonetheless greater than per week away. The world No 1 has seven titles at SW19 and hasn’t misplaced a match there since 2017. While his youthful rivals have much less expertise on grass, they’ve been learning up on Djokovic’s techniques and might attempt to beat him at his personal sport at Wimbledon.
Djokovic isn’t enjoying a warm-up event on the grass this yr and might be going straight to Wimbledon for his title defence as he bids to win a report twenty fourth Major and his eighth on the All England Club. But a few of his rivals are attempting to brush up on the floor, competing on the ATP 500s at Queen’s and Halle this week.
Daniil Medvedev is over in Germany and has already booked his spot within the quarter-final. After Russians had been banned from Wimbledon 12 months in the past, the 27-year-old might be raring to go on the All England Club – and he has been taking notes from Djokovic and Roger Federer forward of his return.
“Grass is so tough for me,” the world No 3 admitted, regardless of holding a title on the floor from Mallorca in 2021. “You can actually play a perfect match and lose on two tie-breaks, so it’s a little bit strange for me.”
And Medvedev stated he had been watching Djokovic and Federer on the grass to adapt his sport. He continued: “When I see top players like Roger and Novak, from one side they can seem like aliens but you try to see the best in them, and how they are able on this surface, where it’s sometimes tricky to beat anyone, to have so many titles.
“Wimbledon, Halle, whatever. It’s just amazing and that’s what I try to watch. Happy to win and looking forward to the next matches.” Meanwhile, Holger Rune – who has a profitable 2-1 report over the Serb – earned his first ever wins on the grass on the cinch Championships this week.
And he revealed that he had been watching Djokovic’s 2019 Wimbledon final victory in opposition to Federer forward of his first-round match. The Dane stated: “The day before my first round, I was watching Roger against Novak, this epic final where Roger had those match points and stuff.
“I was watching a little bit on their movements on the side, and honestly, it looks like they are playing on hard courts because they are so balanced. It doesn’t look like they have to make those adjustment steps in the side which you see many players does.”
The world No 6 has been taking notes, as he went to his health coach with a plan of replicating what Djokovic and Federer did. “I have been trying to be like really, really strong on my legs in the side so I don’t have to run one, two, three more steps,” he added.
“I think it’s a lot about the balance and the strength in the legs. I told my fitness coach, and we have been working on this every day to activate the glutes, the legs, everything to be able to be stronger.”
While it would clearly take loads to dethrone the world No 1 on the All England Club, Medvedev and Rune have the expertise of beating the Serb on the most important levels – at Grand Slams and Masters 1000s – and might be making an attempt to take Djokovic’s personal sport to him at Wimbledon.