THE SHARPE END: Why is Novak Djokovic so dominant? From his low number of unforced errors to the amount of ground he covers, the Serb is near IMPOSSIBLE to beat
A topic of discussion at Wimbledon last week was a simple one: what makes Novak Djokovic unbeatable on these lawns?
He’s not got the biggest serve, he’s not got the most effortless forehand, he’s not got the most killer dropshot. And yet here is again. A ninth Wimbledon final. A chance to win five in a row having not lost on Centre Court since defeat to Andy Murray in the 2013 final.
The conclusion was that Djokovic plays like a computer model. A bit like Deep Blue against chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov. He learns the opponent’s weakest area and then hits ball after ball after ball into those areas.
High percentage shots, no real risks, and keeps doing it until his victim makes a mistake. Hit enough balls into this zone and my calculations compute I’ll win eventually.
There’s a reason some people think he’s actually a robot.
Novak Djokovic is looking to continue his dominance at Wimbledon in the final on Sunday
He has stormed to another Grand Slam final, beating Jannik Sinner in straight sets in the semi-finals
He must now overcome world No 1 Carlos Alcarez to win his fifth Wimbledon title in a row
Low risk, high reward
During the semi-final, the BBC showed a graphic of Djokovic’s forehands down the line for the tournament. They weren’t that close to the line but 90 per cent of them were safely in the danger zone.
Again: little risk, big reward.
He also rarely misses. He’s made the fewest unforced errors of all the semi-finalists.
Spot the weakness and attack
Djokovic is a master at spotting opponent’s weaknesses and moving play towards it.
During his semi-final, once it became clear Jannik Sinner was striking his back-hand well, Djokovic kept targeting the forehand to great success.
Sinner could do little to stop it.
Covering the ground
Watching Djokovic is like watching one of those viral videos of table-tennis players who return every shot no matter how hard or fast the opponent smashes it.
He covers more ground per points than most of his opponents and still has enough left in the tank to hit a staggering number of winners.
Saving break points
Just when you think you’ve cracked the computer’s code, he locks you out again.
Djokovic has saved all but three of the break points he’s faced this tournament.
PS He’s won 15 Grand Slam tie-breaks in a row.
He didn’t hit a single unforced error in the six he won at the French Open.
