Over the last 16 years I’ve helped tennis players improve through my videos, podcasts, and top-rated book on Amazon.
And today I want to break down something really important:
Novak Djokovic isn’t just winning because of talent.
He’s winning because of how he thinks through every single point.
And the good news is this… you can use the same strategies at any level of tennis.
Let’s get into it.
Strategy #1: Have a clear plan BEFORE the point starts
This is something most players completely miss.
They step up to the baseline… toss the ball… and just hope something good happens.
But if you watch Novak, that’s not what’s happening at all.
He already knows:
Where the serve is going
Where the return is likely to go
And what the next ball pattern is going to be
There’s nothing random about it.
In fact, if you watch closely, a lot of his points look almost identical.
He’s repeating patterns that work.
And one of his most common patterns is simple but brutal:
Serve wide
Pull opponent off the court
Hit behind them into open space
This immediately puts his opponent on the run.
Side to side.
And more importantly, it puts them in a defensive mindset right from the first shot.
Why this works so well?
Most players think going down the T is safer or smarter.
But here’s the problem:
It often leaves your opponent in the middle of the court.
Which means they still have equal access to both sides.
No real pressure.
But when you stretch them wide—even slightly—you completely change the geometry of the rally.
Now they’re:
Out of position
On the move
Reacting instead of dictating
And that’s where mistakes start to happen.
Here’s something even better.
Sometimes your opponent will expect the open court shot after being stretched wide.
And they’ll already start running that way early.
That’s when Novak will do something simple but deadly:
He hits behind them
And now the player is completely wrong-footed.
They were already committed… and now they have to stop, change direction, and recover.
Most club players don’t think this far ahead.
This is one of the most underrated Djokovic match strategies in high-level tennis.
They just “hit the next ball.”
But high-level tennis is about setting traps, not just hitting shots.
Strategy #2: Start points by neutralizing, not attacking
This is one of the most overlooked parts of Novak’s game.
Especially on return of serve.
Most players think:
“I need to hit a winner off this return.”
Novak does the opposite.
He thinks:
“I just need to get into this point.”
Even against huge servers like Medvedev.
What you’ll notice is this:
He’s not swinging big.
He’s not trying to do anything flashy.
He’s simply:
Getting his racket on the ball early
Directing it deep
And aiming mostly through the middle
That’s it.
Nothing fancy.
But extremely effective.
Most players train endlessly moving side to side.
But very few are comfortable moving forward and backward under pressure.
So when a deep return lands:
Close to the baseline
At speed
With no time
The server suddenly feels rushed.
Even if they technically “win” the first shot positionally, they’re now hitting off-balance.
And that’s where errors start to creep in.
This is important.
Novak is not trying to hit a perfect return.
He’s trying to:
absorb the best shot his opponent has and stay alive in the rally
That alone is a huge win.
Because most players lose points before the rally even starts.
This is one of the most important Djokovic match strategies you can learn and apply immediately.
If you can consistently neutralize the serve, you’re already ahead of most players at your level.
Strategy #3: Make your opponent move forward and backward (not just side to side)
This is where matches really start to break open.
Most players are comfortable moving:
Left
Right
Left
Right
That’s the pattern they train all the time.
Baseline grinding.
Forehand to forehand.
Backhand to backhand.
But Novak does something different.
He disrupts rhythm by changing depth, not just direction.
The problem with most rallies
If you only play crosscourt rallies:
Your opponent gets into a rhythm
They stop thinking
They just “survive”
And those matches can last forever.
You hit harder… they hit harder back.
You try to force winners… they keep retrieving.
It becomes a grind.
The solution: change vertical movement
Novak occasionally introduces something simple:
A short ball at the right time
And this forces something different:
The opponent has to run forward
Then immediately adjust and recover backward or sideways
That vertical movement is uncomfortable.
Because most players don’t train it nearly as much.
This is one of the key Djokovic match strategies that separates him from typical baseline players.
But here’s the mistake most players make
They throw in drop shots randomly.
Out of frustration.
Just trying to end the point.
That usually backfires.
It’s not about winning the point outright.
It’s about forcing discomfort.
Forcing movement.
Forcing something different.
Because when your opponent is forced to do something outside their comfort zone, errors follow naturally.
If you take anything from Novak’s game, it’s this:
Winning tennis is not about hitting harder or prettier shots.
It’s about:
Having a plan before the point starts
Starting points in neutral control
And breaking your opponent’s rhythm through smart variation
Most players don’t lose because they lack skill.
They lose because they play without structure.
Fix that… and your level changes fast.
Let’s build smarter, more intentional players.
Your Coach,
Ian
