What has happened to the all-conquering Djokovic?

The 2016 Roland-Garros champion is enduring a turbulent trail back to the elite of the game.

Novak Djokovic Roland-Garros 2017 French Open.©Corinne Dubreuil/FFT.
 - Alex Sharp

For a player who has won 12 Grand Slam titles and previously perched top of the rankings for a total of 223 weeks, returning from injury shouldn't be too problematic.

However, Novak Djokovic is enduring a turbulent trail back to the elite of the game.

Minor surgery on a troublesome elbow in February has punctuated a period of uncharacteristic defeats for the Serbian.

Shoots of recovery sprung in Monte-Carlo last week, with two victories, before a battling 6-7(2), 6-2, 6-3 defeat by world No.7 Dominic Thiem in the third round.

However, playing as a wildcard in Barcelona, Djokovic slumped to a shock 2-6, 6-1, 3-6 loss at the hands of world No.140 Martin Klizan in the second round.

As a result, Djokovic has failed to reach the quarter-finals in any of his five comeback tournaments.

What has happened to the all-conquering Djokovic?

His aura has simply disappeared

The 30-year-old freely admits he returned to action too early to complete at Indian Wells and Miami in the ‘Sunshine Swing’.

Two first-match defeats at the hands of Taro Daniel and Benoit Paire could be understandable as Djokovic was playing with pain.

By the time he slid onto the red dirt of Monte-Carlo, Djokovic maintained he’s competing pain free once again.

Saying that, the Daniel and Paire defeats have exposed a vulnerability, players are eager to face him now. He’s the hunted and he knows it.

“Obviously I have to be a little bit more modest with my expectations for a tournament,” said Djokovic in Barcelona.

These alarming losses will have turned heads in the locker rooms. Opponents will no longer fear the prospect, rather they’ll relish clinching a prestigious scalp.

Two years ago.... the Djokovic coronation

Coaching changes need conclusion

Having departed Miami, the sudden announcement that Andre Agassi and Radek Stepanek were leaving his coaching set up proved Djokovic is unsure of the direction and approach for his rise back up to the upper echelons of the game.

Agassi said the duo were "agreeing to disagree,” too frequently, whilst close friend Stepanek couldn’t provide the spark.

The world No.12 recently reunited with his former coach Marian Vajda in Monte Carlo, who was leader in the glorious trophy-laden seasons that Djokovic is so desperate to recapture.

"Vajda knows me better than any tennis coach I've worked with," reflected Djokovic, although no long-term commitment has been established. "He's a friend. He's someone I can share a lot of things with, whether it's professional or private life. He's always there for me. He knows me inside out. He knows what I need in order to get to the highest possible level of play."

Djokovic had to adapt his serve and forehand following the elbow surgery and still appears unsure off both stokes.

Surely if Vajda doesn’t sign up soon, then the Serbian needs a permanent and progressive coach very soon to halt this sharp decline in fortune.

2015: Djokovic became the second man to beat Rafael Nadal at Roland-Garros. Time flies...

Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal Roland-Garros 2015 French Open.©FFT.
Steely belief has been broken

Djokovic's downward spiral illustrates how incredible his mental fortitude was during his three standout seasons this decade.

The Serbian was particularly dominant in 2011, 2015 and 2016 with a relentless and ruthless brand of tennis.

Any position on the court, any deficit, people expected him to prevail.

You'd watch him and see a steely determination in his eyes. Now, Djokovic appears lost, persistently frustrated, but also baffled at why he can't quite click back into gear back in the realm of combat. 

"I feel I haven't lived up to your expectations, not even my own," the 30-year-old admitted in Barcelona. "It's hard to deal with these types of games and defeats. I will try to continue and see where it takes me.

"The last 15 months have been quite tough, to understand the situation, how to deal with it. And I also did make some mistakes, where I came back too early because I wanted to play so much, and then I was not ready and then I made more problems with the elbow. It's all a learning process, it's all a school of life. I'm just trying to be conscious of all of this,” added Djokovic, who has played just 10 matches in 2018.

Positive outlook

Time is running out to find his form and drive ahead of another title tilt at Roland-Garros.

Saying that, on social media and in press, Djokovic is expressing a positive persona. Last week he tweeted:



He's ramping up the training hours, his health seems to be back on track, but the doubts still linger on when he can truly challenge for the major honours again.

"I know that I'm not still at my best and for that I need time. How long? I don't know but I feel like in Monte-Carlo already, I was putting some good matches together," stated the Serbian.

“The long-term goal is obviously trying to win the biggest tournaments in this sport and fight for the peak of what our sport is and that is to be No. 1. I've been in that position so many times and I believe I can get there again.”

Djokovic duelling at the peak of the men's game is a stunning sight. Perhaps a solid coaching set up and a boost of confidence on the road to Roland-Garros can reignite the fire and we will witness more gladiatorial displays from the Serbian.

For now, there are plenty of hard yards to ponder on the practice courts.