By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, March 29, 2025
Photo credit: Miami Open by Itau
Tennis, at its core, revolves around numbers, and no one understands this better than Novak Djokovic. This Grand Slam maestro has spent his entire career gathering an impressive array of stats.
At 37, Djokovic stands as an icon in the sport, having reached 142 finals and clinched 99 career championships, including 24 Grand Slam titles. He holds the unparalleled record for spending 428 weeks as world No. 1 and has raked in a staggering $182 million in prize money so far.
It takes a remarkable stat to catch Djokovic’s eye, yet his serving accuracy in Miami has even captivated him.
Showing an exceptional level of service precision, Djokovic dominated today with an 87% success rate, securing 31 out of 39 first-serve points, unleashing five aces, and facing only two break points to effortlessly sweep past his old friend Grigor Dimitrov in a quick 70-minute semifinal. This came on the heels of another stellar performance where he served at 84% efficiency and landed 11 aces to overpower Sebastian Korda in the quarterfinals.
“I think I’ve been serving pretty well this year,” Djokovic shared with the press in Miami. “While some other areas of my game might not have been up to par, my serve has been solid. Today was a different level entirely.”
Djokovic holds serve at 88.19% this season, ranking seventh on the ATP Tour. Leading the pack, French powerhouse Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard holds at 93.86%, followed by Matteo Berrettini at 90.91% and American Taylor Fritz at 90.37%.
His serving prowess gives Djokovic, known as the Open Era’s greatest returner, a taste of what it must feel like to play in the shoes of a Reilly Opelka or a Nick Kyrgios.
Entering his first Miami Open since 2019, Djokovic noted how his boosted serve speed and the immediate discovery of his rhythm have propelled him to an eighth final against Jakub Mensik.
“I joked with Tim Henman in the post-match interview that now I understand what it’s like to be Isner or Opelka and make the most of your first serves,” Djokovic revealed. “Maybe not with as many aces as those guys, but it’s definitely a game-changer.”
Tennis legends like Andre Agassi and John McEnroe have showered Djokovic with praise, labeling him as the greatest returner and mover on a hard court, respectively. Many of his peers even consider him one of the most exceptional groundstrokers of the Open Era.
However, Djokovic’s serve often flies under the radar.
In the early years, he had more double faults than aces in a season but dedicated himself to enhancing this aspect. Working with renowned coaches like Goran Ivanisevic, Boris Becker, and Todd Martin, who were serving legends in their time, Djokovic has learned to prioritize accuracy over sheer power.
Now collaborating with coach Andy Murray, Djokovic emphasizes precision. “I’m naturally a baseline player. While my return and backhand dominate discussions about my gameplay, my serve might be underrated. But I’ve always valued its accuracy,” he explained.
“I wasn’t aiming for a massive serve in terms of speed. Instead, I focused on landing a precise 120-miles-per-hour serve precisely in the box, which either wins the point outright or sets me up perfectly for the next rally.”
