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Djokovic is the world’s second-ranked tennis player. He holds the record for most Grand Slam titles among men. But what is the secret of the tennis player’s success, especially at Wimbledon? Let’s try to figure it out.
Djokovic’s Success at Wimbledon
Djokovic has won 4 times in a row on the grass courts of Wimbledon. In total, he has 7 victories in this tournament in his career. The winning streak was interrupted in 2023 by the Spaniard Alcaraz. However, he is still far from the achievements of the former champion. Many experts explain this result by the fact that Djokovic is excellent at playing on grass.
Why Grass Courts Are Unique in Tennis
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Tennis was born on grass, but now it is almost never played on. It is expensive, capricious, and very fast.
Grass Court Characteristics and Impact on Play
The grass is the oldest tennis surface. It was on it that the game called lawn tennis was born. And until the 1970s, grass was the main surface on which most professional tournaments were held. It was replaced by the fact that other courts turned out to be easier to prepare and operate.
Grass is considered the fastest of the modern surfaces. That is, the ball bounces off it faster and lower than on other courts: flying at a speed of 100 km/h after contact with the grass, it retains a speed of 73 km/h, and when hit at an angle of 30 degrees, it bounces off at an angle of 36 degrees. As a result, the ball arrives at the back line at an average height of 134 cm.
This means that tennis on grass is also fast, and most rallies are played in one or two strokes, with players making a lot of aces. Also, on grass, the most effective strokes are spin or backspin slices, after which the ball seems to slide along the grass without any bounce at all.
The Difficulty of Grass Courts for Most Players
To this day, grass remains the surface that is best suited for going to the net, including directly from the serve. Previously, serve-and-volley was not a tactical choice but a necessity, especially in the 1990s. Back then, the grass was especially soft and uneven, so the ball bounced crookedly or did not bounce at all. For example, Patrick McEnroe said that he did not bounce the ball on the court before serving because it simply did not return to his hand.
Now, agronomists have selected a combination of grass varieties to make the courts as hard and smooth as possible. But this has led to the fact that the surface has become a little slower – the ball bounces off it a little higher than in the 90s. But the bounce is still low, so you still need to attack on grass. Otherwise, you simply cannot survive on it. In addition, running on the baseline is hampered by the fact that it is slippery, especially on the first days of tournaments.
Djokovic’s Key Strengths on Grass
Djokovic has two strong points in his game: speed and adaptability. On the one hand, he makes excellent use of the high speed of the surface because it matches the high tempo of his aggressive game. On the other hand, he is able to instantly adapt to the characteristics of a particular court and turn them to his advantage. All this together makes grass the ideal surface for Djokovic. The thing is, he is just as lively and unpredictable.
Strategies Djokovic Uses to Dominate Wimbledon
Djokovic has a phenomenal ability to learn from his mistakes. He is also constantly looking for ways to improve. Of course, you can expect only a great strategy from such a player.
Court Coverage and Use of Angles
Now, he mainly uses his speed and agility not to run after the ball in the depths but to stand right on the baseline, meet the ball early, and pressure the opponent with the pace of exchanges. In addition, Novak has noticeably improved his net play and has become more active in using serve and volley. For example, at the victorious Wimbledon 2021, he realized 76% of his approaches to the net – this was the highest rate among players who reached the second week. At the same time, in 7% of rallies, he went to the net straight from the serve – although the average rate for men at that tournament was 4%.
Adjustments in Spin and Power for Grass
The speed of the grass is perfect for Djokovic’s traditionally aggressive style of play. The Serb makes lightning-fast attacks, using his speed to deliver devastating blows. Djokovic is feared on slower surfaces, but on grass, he truly works wonders.
Consistent and Varied Serving
The serve is the tennis player’s strong point. Now, he throws the ball lower and goes to it himself. In addition, he holds the racket closer to his head and puts more effort into the ball. As a result, the serve has become more snappy. At the same time, he has not lost accuracy and stability.
Djokovic has also noticeably improved his second serve. He made it more aggressive and found an interesting tactical trick – about a third of the time, he includes a strong second serve in the opponent’s forehand (on average, this figure is about 22% in the tour). Many opponents do not expect a second serve to be strong, and this puts them in a dead end.
Iconic Wimbledon Matches and Rivalries
Of course, when talking about Djokovic’s advantages on the grass court, one cannot help but recall his iconic victories.
Djokovic vs. Federer (2019 Final)
This match raised a storm in huge betting on tennis. Novak won 37-year-old Roger Federer in the decisive match of 2019. Their confrontation lasted almost five hours.
Roger literally gave the first set to his opponent. In the second set, Roger loosened up and played freely. Novak did not resist much and easily gave up the set (1:6). Federer gained confidence, but he himself understood that such ease would not continue. In the third set, with the score 5:4, the Swiss received a set point, but Novak did not flinch. It came down to a tie-break again, and again the Swiss crumbled. It was clearly noticeable that Djokovic had a huge psychological advantage over Federer. Roger himself gave everything at the decisive moment. The tie-break in the third set was no exception. Federer made mistakes time after time.
Matches Against Nadal
In 2011, Djokovic faced Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon final. In the first set, Djokovic made the only break in the 10th game. Nadal failed the second set, and in the third set, Novak seriously slowed down. In the fourth set, the Serb again seized the initiative and brought the matter to victory. Thus, the Serb won his first Wimbledon and his third Grand Slam title.
Rivalries and Records at Wimbledon
It is quite difficult to find a tennis player as titled as Djokovic. He won Olympic gold and finally collected the Golden Slam – now he has all the iconic tennis titles. But Wimbledon occupies a special place in his career.
When recalling the achievements of the tennis Big Three, fans, as a rule, focus on the surfaces that are the profile of each of its representatives. In fact, Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic managed to do what no one had managed before – to become the face of one of the majors. So, in the case of the Spaniard, we are talking, of course, about Roland Garros (14 trophies), the Serb is called the king of Melbourne hard (10 trophies), and the Swiss has long been undefeated on grass (eight victories at Wimbledon).
So far, Djokovic has not managed to beat Federer’s record. He has seven victories on grass. However, at this year’s Olympics, he proved that it was too early to write him off.
Djokovic’s Legacy at Wimbledon
Djokovic’s name is already etched into the tournament’s history. Even if he decides to retire now, his achievements will not be forgotten.
Records and Achievements
Seven victories, four of which in a row, is a serious achievement. Formally, Federer is still the king of Wimbledon. He is ahead of Novak by one victory. However, in terms of the number of bright and memorable finals, Djokovic is undoubtedly the leader.
Comparisons With Other Grass Court Legends
Until 2023, Djokovic was the clear favorite. Even his Big Three colleagues were inferior to him on grass. However, for the last two years, Alcaraz has had the advantage. He may become the next legend of this tournament.
Influence on the Future of Grass-Court Tennis
Experts claim that grass courts are gradually becoming history. However, Djokovic’s example shows that this is not the case. Thanks to him and other grasscourt champions, we can still see fast and dynamic play. Therefore, it is too early to write the grass off.
Conclusion
Djokovic is an outstanding tennis player. From weak and sickly, he turned into a real winning machine. Perseverance, strategic thinking, and constant work on mistakes made him a champion. Today, he has already received all possible trophies. However, Novak continues to please his fans with his game.
