Mats Wilander says Novak Djokovic must improve return game - 'Not where it needs to be, not where it used to be'

ByAlasdair Mackenzie

Published 28/05/2024 at 22:48 GMT

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is up and running at the French Open after earning a straight-sets win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the first round on Tuesday night. Although the Serbian ultimately won comfortably, Eurosport expert Mats Wilander said he "got what I expected" and identified Djokovic's return as an area needing improvement. "It's not where it needs to be," he told Eurosport.

Novak Djokovic did “as expected” in his French Open win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert, says Mats Wilander, but the world No. 1’s return game was “not where it needs to be” after he struggled against the Frenchman’s serve.

Djokovic claimed a straight-sets 6-4 7-6(2) 6-4 win to kick-start his title defence at Roland-Garros, but had to battle hard against the 142nd-ranked wild card.

The 24-time major champion admitted afterwards that he “couldn’t find the right position on the return,” and Eurosport expert Wilander identified it as a key area for improvement.

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“The only expectation I had for Novak was to win. He’s not going to lose this match, but it’s not easy to play someone who serves and volleys,” Wilander said.

“He looked a little bit off balance, but I got what I expected, which was a three-set straight victory for Novak.”

Djokovic had a dip in the second set, when he was broken for the only time in the match and forced to a tie-break before turning on the style to wrestle back the momentum.

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“I think Pierre-Hugues started playing better [in the second set] for sure, started feeling a little more comfortable,” Wilander added.

“Most probably, he would’ve felt like: hold on a second, Novak isn’t playing at his best, I’ve got a chance here to maybe win a set.

“At the same time, Novak complained a few times that the ball was moving in the air. The roof was open for I believe the first match today on Philippe-Chatrier, maybe the second. It was tough conditions. It’s very cold, the ball doesn’t fly very far or very fast and then it moves sideways. 

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“His return of serve is definitely not where it used to be, where it needs to be and it’s difficult to do on a clay court with such a big serve and so much spin from Pierre-Hugues.

“In the end he goes out, he’s focused, he wins, the crowd is against him, he loves that.”

Although Djokovic is yet to hit his top level, Eurosport analyst Tim Henman explained that the Serbian possesses an ability most others lack in being able to find form during a major tournament.

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Henman used the second set tie-break as an example of how the 37-year-old can put his foot on the throat when required.

He said: “I think if it goes to one set all, everyone is thinking could there be an upset on the cards?

“But in those biggest moments, and certainly - with all due respect - against someone like Herbert on clay, you just sensed that Djokovic was going to go into that lockdown mode where he doesn’t make any unforced errors. To go two sets to love up, it just gives him a great cushion.

“Djokovic is one of the few players who can really play their way into form in a Grand Slam. I think the others are just trying to win each and every match. This was a great draw, I think Herbert deserves a lot of credit.”

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