Yesterday, Djokovic lost 3-6, 7-6, 1-6 to Spain's Davidovic in his second-round debut at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Djokovic's shots seemed out of rhythm throughout the game, not only unable to play a threatening offensive line and batting power, but also being considered a stable player, and also delivering up to 51 unforced errors in the game, which also led to his opponent breaking the serve nine times in the game.
Of course, we also need to see that Davidović from the Clay Kingdom is very good at clay combat, and he is extremely tenacious when rolling around the game, and he is definitely not a nobody that can be ignored. He achieved a fairly good record in last year's clay season, and as a player born in the growth stage of 99, this year is likely to improve more than last year.
But Djokovic did not participate in the North American Sunshine Doubles, and it is reasonable to say that he should have entered the preparation for the clay season earlier than others, and should also have better physical reserves. But judging by Djokovic's physical condition during the game, he seems to be far from adapting to the intensity of the game.
I don't quite believe that Djokovic, who has always been very disciplined, will lower his requirements for himself and neglect training on days when there is no game. So Djokovic's exit also clearly shows us that when the player is in a fierce tour competition, under great psychological pressure, the physical consumption may be much greater than the usual daily training.
This state of mind is difficult to simulate realistically in daily training, and can only be slowly adapted through competition. Wawrinka and Thiem, who have returned from injury, have also shown a variety of alienations that cannot adapt to the intensity of the game after being away from the professional arena for so long.
Of course, on the other hand, after Djokovic took the initiative to give up some matches in the past, he was always able to return to the field in a relatively perfect state. The comeback after being forced to dormant this time is more or less without that calmness. Although Djokovic has repeatedly stressed that the vaccine storm at the beginning of the year did not cause him too much trouble, he also actively adjusted. But from the actual situation, Djokovic should still be trapped in some subtle psychological changes that are difficult for him to perceive.
However, although Djokovic, who has been out of the game for a long time, is really not in good shape, but in such a downturn, he still pulled back from many adversities in the second set. This is really an ability that only giants have, the ability of top players and ordinary players to pull off the grade.
This ability is also a reason why we will believe that Djokovic will improve his form through a series of warm-up matches and adjust to the best possible form at the French Open. Djokovic will then continue to play at his hometown of the Belgrade Open, and an ATP250 event may be easier to find the game than to meet such a difficult opponent at the beginning of the Masters.
It is worth mentioning that due to Medvedev's better performance in Monte Carlo last year, although Djokovic was out of the first game, the point gap between him and Medvedev has widened, and the world number one record will continue to continue.
After Djokovic was out, Monte Carlo seemed to have a lot less to watch. Looking at today's schedule, there are already many showdowns between the post-00s, and it is time to look at the ecology of young people.