Novak Djokovic may need to change his own plan to rebuild his shattered aura
Tittle: As Novak Djokovic slipped to another disappointing defeat at the Monte Carlo Masters, the world No 1 was forced to accept a harsh reality.
It was just that Djokovic suffered a first defeat to Casper Ruud as he was beaten in the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters, as this was another big message to the rest of the ATP Tour that the world No 1 is looking vulnerable at last.
No longer is he the ultimate champion who can withstand whatever is thrown at him and instead, there are cracks in the make-up of a player who conceded the last game against Ruud with a string of poor errors, including a double fault when he was match point down.
On a positive note, the Serbian’s run to the semi-finals in Monte Carlo was a welcome boost in activity after an opening to 2024 that has seen the 24-time Grand Slam champion play just 15 matches, including three in the ATP Cup team event in January.
By contrast, world No 2 Jannik Sinner has played 27 matches this season, winning 25 of them and collecting three titles along the way, including the Australian Open.
Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov has played 28 matches this year, winning 22 of them and Norway’s Casper Ruud has played 27.
Playing fewer events is a strategy Djokovic has vowed to pursue as he looks to preserve his jaded sporting limbs as he edges toward his 37th birthday and in recent years, that plan has worked well.
During the period when he was blocked from playing tournaments due to Covid visa issues, he tended to bounce back from long spells away from the court and reaffirm his brilliance by winning tournaments on his return.
No longer is he the ultimate champion who can withstand whatever is thrown at him and instead, there are cracks in the make-up of a player who conceded the last game against Ruud with a string of poor errors, including a double fault when he was match point down
Yet his decision not to play in the Miami Open as he opted to spend more time with his wife and children meant he had a long break from his shock defeat against Luca Nardi in Indian Wells in early March and his appearance in Monte Carlo.
