How Do You Beat Novak Djokovic?

That’s the question right now, isn’t it? How do you beat Novak Djokovic? I thought Bautista-Agut might have the answers, but…

Last night at the Western and Southern Open, Djokovic visibly struggled with a stiff neck, he wasn’t moving quite as well and Bautista-Agut was playing great tennis. After winning the first set, I thought Bautista-Agut might win his second match against the Djoker, but it wasn’t to be. Djokovic fought back, won the second set and the match through a tie-break in the final set (7-0). So how do you beat Novak Djokovic?

Bautista-Agut is a crafty player who rarely misses a shot. He plays quite a similar all-court defensive game to Djokovic and he does it really well. Still, he came just short yesterday and Djokovic wasn’t at his best. It seems like the players who trouble Djokovic the most are those who keep the ball in play without trying to create too much. Just keep the shots deep and wait for your moment. If you have a serve like Kyrgios, it’s another story, but for most players stepping on a hard court against Novak is a depressing thought. The world number one has not yet lost a match in 2020 (arguably the shortest season of all time, but you can only win the matches you play).  And the question is, will he?

How do you beat Novak Djokovic? The US Open edition

If you look at the US Open draw, there are not many players that have the game to defeat Novak. Thiem, Medvedev, Zverev on a good day, Tsitsipas. It’s hard to see how can really challenge him over the best of five sets. Perhaps the amount of tennis he has played after the COVID break and his stiff neck are his worst opponents? Let’s hope someone can push him and we get an exciting tournament where a lot of things are in the “open” and we don’t put Grand Slam title number 18 next to Novak’s name too early.

Do you have any ideas on how to beat Novak? What is the secret sauce? Is there any strategy you can employ that gives you a better chance?