Roger Federer’s former coach Severin Luthi has paid credit to Novak Djokovic for the way he’s handled his schedule in recent years, insisting the Serbian is now “walking on eggshells” for every non-major tournament he plays. Djokovic is now just one behind Federer’s record of 58 Grand Slam quarter-finals after he made it through to the last eight at the US Open.
Even more remarkable is how Djokovic has been able to maintain his elite level while playing less tennis than his rivals. The Cincinnati Masters is the only tournament Djokovic has played since winning the French Open that wasn’t a Grand Slam.
In total, he’s played just six non-major events this year, three of which were Masters 1000 tournaments. The Serbian tennis icon has slowly reduced his schedule outside of Grand Slam events in a bid to keep himself fresh for the big tournaments.
It’s something Federer and most of the tennis greats of the past ended up doing to help prolong their careers. Luthi, who began coaching Federer back in 2007, has been impressed with how well Djokovic has coped without needing many warm-up events before majors.
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“He knows he can no longer dance on all counts,” he told Blick.”If you make major mistakes at this age, it can have serious consequences. Djokovic is also starting to walk on eggshells.
“The way Djokovic plans his career at his age is excellent. In addition, he has the gift, like Roger in the past, of not having to play a lot of preparation tournaments. He is simply at the top right away.
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“When you have been there for so long, you also have to think about what still pleases you. So you may miss out on one more tournament.”
Skipping non-major tournaments means Djokovic is more at risk of missing out on the world No 1 spot at the end of the calendar year. However, his performance at this year’s Grand Slams have seen Djokovic do enough to retake the No 1 spot ahead of Carlos Alcaraz once more.
He already holds the record for seven year-end No 1s as well as being the oldest to hold the top spot in the rankings at the end of the season. If he holds the top spot beyond March next year then Djokovic will surpass Federer’s record as the oldest world No 1 at any time.
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