“I’m not used to it”: the numbers that mark Djokovic’s difficult start to the 2024 season

For most tennis players on the tour, starting a season with the semi-finals of the Australian Open and a third round at Indian Wells would be more than welcome. For Novak Djokovic, no. The Serbian admits to working to change his present, marked by his defeat against the Italian Luca Nardi, world number 123 and by his imminent decision not to play the Miami Masters 1000 . Various media around the world are already assuming that he will not be in Florida and will return to the European clay court tour where he will have to defend his crown at Roland Garros.

The latter, coupled with the early elimination at Indian Wells, obviously rings alarm bells in Djokovic’s world, mainly because the European almost always wins titles at this time of year. In fact, it was one of the topics he addressed in the press conference after his third-round loss (his second match) at the first Masters 1000 of the season.

“There are no titles this year, it’s not something I’m used to. I started most seasons of my career with a Grand Slam title or a victory in Dubai or other tournaments, but it doesn’t matter, it’s part of sport, you have to accept it. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I hope to win more, I’ll keep trying and I think every tournament that comes my way will be great. I obviously want to break the negative cycle that I have experienced over the last three or four tournaments. in which I have not been very close to my best version”, reflected Nole, who despite his bad moment will remain that of the planet at least for the next month.

A phrase that clearly emerges from the numbers that Djokovic has posted throughout his professional career. Although his first ATP title came in July 2006 (defeating Nicolás Massú in the final), it was in 2007 that Nole fully became one of the best. That year, he won the first tournament in which he participated: the Adelaide International, which was played between

The following year, the story would not be much different. He didn’t compete at the ATP in Adelaide, but he won the title at the first event he competed in: the Australian Open. It was his first Grand Slam, an event which always takes place in January and which will end up being the most emblematic competition for the one born in the Balkans. He lifted the cup ten times in Melbourne. Then come 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023.

If we exclude the seasons with these celebrations in Australia, there are only 2009, 2010, 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2022 as possible seasons where the hugs didn’t come early. But these courses are quickly beginning to be excluded from studies.

In 2009 and 2010, the Serbian won the ATP 500 in Dubai, which takes place at the end of February in the Middle East, just after the end of the Australian tour. In 2017, on the other hand, he was champion at the ATP in Doha, Qatar, which took place in the first week of January.

2014, on the other hand, was one of the years he came closest to not winning a title in the first three months of the calendar. After falling in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and the semifinals of Dubai, the European managed to win the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells, adding the first crown of his season.

In this way, the only years (besides 2024) where he reached at least April without trophies were 2018 and 2022. . Totally different seasons from the present, since in both cases he had problems off the field that did not allow him to show his best version.

For 2018, the answer is the complex injury he suffered to his elbow in 2017, which even left him off the slopes for six months , forcing him to enter the operating room in July of the same year. He returned to the Australian Open the following season and only added titles at Wimbledon, where he won his 13th Grand Slam. That year, he also won the US Open and the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati and Shanghai.

Two years ago, however, the story was different, since the world number one was only able to play one tournament until April, because due to his decision not to get vaccinated against Covid, various countries have closed their doors to it. We remember the episode of his arrest in Melbourne before the Australian Open, where he spent 11 days locked in a hotel while local authorities debated in court a special permit to enter the country.

In any case, this year will remain one of the most winning in percentages for Novak, since he won the titles in Rome, Wimbledon, Tel Aviv, Astana and the ATP Finals. In addition to Australia, he was unable to enter the United States or Canada, being excluded from five other key tournaments. : the US Open and the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells, Miami, Cincinnati and Montreal.

If he does not play, he will return to clay where he will have to defend Roland Garros and the world number one. Alcaraz and Sinner are waiting for them. Djoko knows he doesn’t have time to find his best version. You need it to get out of the “negative cycle”.