How to Beat Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam

Novak Djokovic has just captured the ATP Finals title of 2022. The Australian Open will be happening soon, and it seems like he is poised to take another Grand Slam title there. At this point, it’s the field vs. Djokovic – and he tends to win! This year, he was ineligible to play in two of the four Slams, won Wimbledon, and lost in Roland Garros to Nadal. In 2021, he won three of four Slams, only losing the US Open to Medvedev in the final – so of the past eight slams played, he’s won four out of the six he played. Let’s analyze the 2021 US Open loss a bit further – what does it take to beat an in-form Novak Djokovic at a Grand Slam?

Step One: Play Well

When I say well, I mean really well. I mean Daniil Medvedev-breaks-Djokovic-four-times well. 16 aces well. Give up one break the whole match well. Medvedev beat Djokovic in a clean three sets in 2021’s final because he played spectacular tennis and rose to the occasion. He displayed a lights-out serving performance for the entire match. To beat Djokovic, you have to be in the zone and on your game the entire match – any cracks in your game and he slips right through. Another example of lights-out play: Stan Wawrinka in the 2015 French Open Final. It might seem like it sometimes, but Djokovic is not immune to winners, which Wawrinka could hit left and right that match.

Step Two: Make Sure He’s Worn Out

While most of his matches were won in four sets, Djokovic’s campaign at the US Open was long and weary. Many found their way near three hours, including his third round match against Kei Nishikori. While these matches do not immediately knock Djokovic out of the tournament, they are grueling and long – a five-set semifinal with Alexander Zverev helped to ensure Djokovic was especially tired before the final with Medvedev, who had a much easier time making it to the final. 

Step Three: Add A Ton Of Pressure

Djokovic is a master of handling pressure. It’s what he has built his career on – crushing the hopes of crowds, breaking records, and defying expectations. But even someone who seems to live for the thrill of pressure can succumb to it at some point. Djokovic was one match away from winning a calendar-year Grand Slam, a feat that has not been completed since 1988 by Steffi Graf (in a legendary run). He also would have broken the Slam record for men had he won. Were Djokovic to win the final, he would have been the greatest player of all time, uncontested – and that pressure, combined with the other two factors, seemed to have taken its toll in the final of the US Open last year. 

So to any top players looking to beat Djokovic in the Australian Open, there’s a tutorial – good luck.