“I think his serve was very underrated” : Denis Shapovalov picks Novak Djokovic’s most underrated trait
Novak Djokovic in his initial years in professional tennis was not the most prolific of technicians on court. But now at the age of 37, the Serbian is one of the most complete players we have ever seen play.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion really does not have any genuine weakness, as apart from his insane consistency and work rate, he is also able to best his opponent throughout the match nine times out of ten.
Among the many players who have tried to take down the Serbian, Denis Shapovalov is one who has never been able to beat him. The Canadian’s backhand is regarded as one of the best in the game, and he recently revealed what he thinks is the Serbian’s best move.
“I think his serve was very underrated. Especially under pressure the guy would serve on the lines,” Shapovalov said (via UTS Tour’s YouTube channel).
“I feel like Novak makes you play worse. He does nothing wrong but he will find whatever is not working that day but then hit it there every single time!” the 25-year-old added.
Djokovic’s serve has greatly improved over the latter stage of his career, as his serves land almost at or on the line while his second serve has won him points 69% of the time, the highest from anyone else as recorded by the ATP Tour.
“The guy was toying with me” : Denis Shapovalov recalls his time against Novak Djokovic
To say that the former world no.1 made his opponents suffer would be an understatement. Djokovic has made his opponents look like fools and much more at times, and Shapovalov is an unfortunate victim as well. In the eight times the duo has met each other, the Canadian has failed to record even a single victory.
Shapovalov remembered in the 2019 Paris Masters Final that the Serbian was unwell ahead of their clash, yet he was still unable to provide any answer for his brilliance even when sick. Djokovic was easily able to get the victory over the Canadian 6-3, 6-4, making it the sixth of a record seven titles at the Masters 1000 event in Paris.
“I remember Paris the year I made finals, I played him in the finals and I heard rumours he had been sick all week. He was drinking his juices and drinking stuff all the time,”
“I was like I have got him, I am playing the best tennis of my life. The guy is not feeling good, he’s not 100%. This is my chance. No chance. The guy was toying with me.” Shapovalov revealed.
This statement from the Canadian helps us more understand on how difficult it is to beat the likes of Novak Djokovic, as even world class individuals and way younger than him tend to struggle.
