Novak Djokovic: Mats Wilander dismisses concerns over form of 24-time Grand Slam winner - 'Don't think it matters'

Published 22/03/2024 at 06:46 GMT

After dominating the tour last year, Novak Djokovic is enduring a rather indifferent 2024 season having suffered three defeats already - but Eurosport's Mats Wilander shrugged off any concerns about the world No. 1's form. "I wouldn't worry and I'm sure he's not worried either," Wilander said. Djokovic withdrew from the Miami Open, stressing he is "balancing his private and professional schedule".

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Mats Wilander has shrugged off concerns about Novak Djokovic's form after the world No. 1 was stunned by lucky loser Luca Nardi in the third round of Indian Wells.

At No. 123 in the world, Nardi became the lowest-ranked player to beat Djokovic at Masters 1000 or Grand Slam level, as the Serbian suffered his third loss of the season following defeats to Alex de Minaur at the United Cup and Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals.

Djokovic was expected to bounce back at the Miami Open but confirmed his withdrawal from the tournament on Saturday, stressing he is "balancing his private and professional schedule”.

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With the French Open still two months away, Wilander insists he is "not worried" about Djokovic's form and believes the 24-time Grand Slam winner won't be either.

Speaking exclusively to Eurosport, Wilander said: "Novak Djokovic doesn't really care when he loses in the smaller tournaments.

"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.

"‘How good has my practice been back home?’ or wherever he's been practicing, and then he gets to a tournament and he's playing the other pros, the best players in the world, and he realises after he wins a round or two or three or whatever the result is, I think he realises, ‘oh okay, I'm close enough, I don't need to be any better at this particular moment’.

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“‘The French Open is two months away and that's when I need to be at my best for the French, for Wimbledon’, and then you push through and hope for the Olympics.

"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."

Djokovic is next set to play the Monte Carlo Masters, which starts on April 7.

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