Former world number one Mats Wilander believes that Serbia’s
legendary tennis star Novak Djokovic is not scared to lose smaller tournaments.
The 36-year-old had a difficult start to the 2024 campaign
where he has already suffered three defeats. His most recent defeat came while
playing in the Indian Wells where he was knocked out of the competition after
losing to Italy’s Luca Nardi in the round of 32 with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
After that, Djokovic announced that he would not take part in
the ongoing ATP 1000 event — the Miami Open. Wilander was recently quoted in a report
where he expressed his opinion that the 24-time Grand Slam winner is definitely
not scared of playing in smaller competitions.
"Novak Djokovic doesn't really care when he loses in
the smaller tournaments,” he said. "I mean, he would like to win every
tournament, he'd like to win every match. But I do think that sometimes these
days he goes on a trip just to test himself.
"But right now, in terms of competition, it is a little
bit of an off-season. It would be great to win the Sunshine Double again for
Novak Djokovic, but he's not even playing in Miami.
"So basically, it's a [case of] getting a couple of
matches, understand that he's very close, ‘I'm going to go home, I'm going to
practice again and then I'll be ready for the next match’.
“But I'm not worried. I was always worried about Novak
winning too much and I think the last few years he hasn't won too much on tour,
which is why he's winning so many Grand Slam tournaments because he's fresh. I
don't think it matters.
"This surface again is not perfect for Novak with the
slow bounce, the high bounce; I think that he prefers a faster court.
"So I think he goes and realises that Luca Nardi is
another young Italian who's really good. There's a lot of good players out
there who aren’t worried about Novak in terms of the physical part, unless it's
three out of five sets and then they become worried. Novak knows all this. I
wouldn't worry and I'm sure he's not worried either."
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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