Djokovic must put frustrations behind him and focus on task at hand

Any suggestion that Novak Djokovic was going to be a more mellowed personality this year in light of 2020’s hardships were quickly quashed when the Serb released a bizarre set of demands for greater leniency towards players in their pre-Australian Open quarantine period. The World Number 1 was unhappy with the fact that certain liberties were being denied players as they attempted to prepare for the first Grand Slam of the year, but judging by the backlash he received from tennis players, pundits and fans alike, few shared his sentiments.

It’s no lie to say that Djokovic has cut an unhappy figure since the coronavirus pandemic first struck, and it’s clear that he has felt the frustrations of the pandemic more than most. He failed to win a Grand Slam after the virus wreaked havoc on the tennis calendar last March, enduring a default in the US Open fourth round after inadvertently striking a line judge with a ball hit in anger. A meek performance in the French Open final against Rafael Nadal followed, before disappointment in the ATP Finals capped off a turbulent year for Djokovic.

The quest in 2021 has to be to put disappointment behind him and focus on winning Grand Slams, as he seeks to draw level with Nadal and Roger Federer on 20 major titles. The upcoming Australian Open provides the perfect opportunity to begin this year on the right foot, and if he can shake off his quarantine frustrations and concentrate on the task at hand, then he has every chance of success in a tournament he has won eight times prior. The odds on Novak Djokovic winning the tournament are so short because of this fine record in Melbourne.

There’s no denying that when in top form and free of distractions, Djokovic is the best player in the world at the moment, and there’s every chance he will eventually overtake Nadal and Federer at the top of that Grand Slam titles list. But you feel that this year will be a crucial one for the Serb. If he does win in Melbourne, then it could set the ball rolling for a memorable year of Grand Slam glory, and there’s no doubt that one of his aims this year will be to wrestle away Nadal’s dominance of the French Open.

Djokovic’s recent record at the Australian Open speaks for itself. He has won the tournament in each of the last two years, and won the title seven times in 10 editions of the Melbourne Slam between 2011 and 2020. That kind of dominance is proof of the quality Djokovic possesses, and perhaps the World Number 1 simply needs to focus on the basics as he begins his quest for a ninth Australian Open title.

You would think that Djokovic is too good a player to be thrown wildly off course by the various controversy that has followed him over the last 10 months or so. In the end, there are still few players who can live with him when he is in top form, and if he displays his ruthless side on court at the Australian Open, then a ninth Melbourne crown is bound to come his way. Perhaps then, he can truly cast off the stormy waters of 2020.