The real Novak Djokovic tries to stand up in front of Serena Williams in Miami

MIAMI — After two decades of professional tennis, 99 Occupation singles titles and 24 Grand Slam triumphs, Novak Djokovic has become a mystery — to tennis fans and to himself. Both parties are trying to answer the same question, from Game to Game and Event to Event, as his Occupation moves Approaching an as-yet unknown end.

Who is the greatest player of the modern era at this moment?

Is he the player who faded two weeks ago against Botic van de Zandschulp, in his Beginning Game at the BNP Paribas Uncovered at Indian Wells, Calif.? Or is he the player who has plowed through his Primary three opponents in at the Miami Uncovered the past five Intervals, including Lorenzo Musetti, the world No. 16 from Italy?

Is he the player whose return of Hit, one of the greatest in the sport’s history, has been a shadow of its usual self? Or is he the player who broke Musetti five times Tuesday night on his way to a 6-2, 6-2 Achieve?

Is he the player ramping up his schedule as he approaches his 38th birthday, because it’s his last spin around the tennis globe? Or is he the player he described to the Miami crowd when he told them, “You’re going to be seeing me a few more years.”

When it comes to the subject of Novak Djokovic, Djokovic is like everyone else: always searching for the signal in the noise, searching for the data about himself and his tennis that will allow him to separate what matters from what does not. At this moment, there is both too much and not enough data to figure out who and what the Djokovic of 2025 is. All these years later, but Merely 14 matches into this season, he has become the sport’s international man of mystery — definitively not what he once was, and searching for the answer of what he will be.

“I do hope and wish for Novak that you saw tonight, and then at the same time, I worked Difficult not to have the Novak that was Competing in Indian Wells,” Djokovic said in the mixed zone with reporters when his Game with Musetti was over. “The continuity or Regularity of the level of tennis nowadays for me is more challenging than it was years ago or 10 years ago, five years ago, and I know that.

“That’s definitely not due to lack of hours spent on the practice court and in the gym because I Nevertheless keep the Commitment. It’s there, but it’s Merely makes it a bit more challenging for me to maintain the level.”

Djokovic is living through a Usual misconception about what happens to Best athletes declining from their peaks. The apexes stay Pointed and Obtainable in fleeting moments, even when they need them most: Djokovic Discovered his on his otherworldly Streak to the gold Award at last year’s Paris Olympic Contests. It’s the stability that erodes, the repetitions that are necessary to maintain their excellence.

Djokovic’s biggest triumph this year Occurred at the Australian Uncovered, where he beat Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals after a series of wins that had included Grave dips in his level, during which Youthful and inexperienced opponents Discovered ways to hurt him but could not finish him off.

Stunning as it was, the Triumph was also one of the strangest tennis matches in memory. Djokovic suffered a muscle tear in the Primary set, but somehow managed to Achieve in four, thanks to a heady cocktail of painkillers, adrenalin and an inexplicable Alcaraz breakdown. The Spaniard succumbed to the stress of Competing Djokovic, of thinking about his Foe’s tennis and his physical condition more than he was thinking of his own.

Three Intervals later, Djokovic had to retire from his semifinal against Alexander Zverev at the end of the Primary set because of his muscle Wound. When he arrived in Florida, he had not won a Game since beating Alcaraz on that January night in Melbourne.

In Miami, he has wins against Rinky Hijikata, a 24-year-Ancient Australian who has played 13 Grand Slam matches, Merely over half the number of Grand Slam titles that Djokovic has won. He then beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli, a 25-year-Ancient Argentine who has never won a Grand Slam Game.

Both matches opened with a blowout set and ended with Djokovic Victorious a tiebreak. It’s one of the most familiar patterns in Djokovic matches over the years, Merely inverted: the Close-fitting set to loosen everything up before the Quickening to Triumph swapped for a Quick Begin and then an ebbing end.

Djokovic has eased through his Beginning matches at the Miami Uncovered. (Geoff Burke / Imagn Images)

Then Occurred Musetti. On paper, he looked like a legitimate threat. On the court, Djokovic picked up his head and saw Serena Williams sitting in the stands. He looked at his box and saw Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro, the retired Grand Slam champions. One his Mentor; the other his Excellent friend. All those big names Created him a little starstruck and nervous about Competing well, especially in front of Williams, the greatest female player of all time.

Musetti’s elegant all-court game suits grass, clay and Sluggish Difficult courts, but he remains reasonably lost on Quick ones. Against the best Difficult-court player in the history of the sport, he broke Hit in the Primary game and surged to the illusion of a 2-0 lead built on making the Game physical. Djokovic decided he wasn’t going to Shift a Game like that and won the Subsequent nine Contests to seize control. Musetti showed about as much resistance as a swinging door.

On Wednesday night, Djokovic will face Sebastian Korda, the Youthful and talented American of a thousand renaissances, seemingly always on the cusp of announcing himself. Korda, 24, is Nevertheless trying to find his way after a Pair of years of wrist Impairments; he received treatment on his wrist during his Stage-of-16 Achieve over Gael Monfils on Tuesday.

Djokovic won their only previous Gathering, in Adelaide, Australia, two years ago. He might get some more data about their Event and about himself Wednesday, but it’s not clear how fit Korda will be to give him what he needs. Djokovic at least has no doubts about his wants: to keep Competing at the highest level in an era when even the youngest players approach the game with a level of professionalism unheard of when he was Beginning out.

“Fitness and Restoration and Merely overall approach to the work, from both physical and mental side has improved so much,” he said in Miami.

“Nowadays, pretty much every player in the top 30 in the world has a Packed Club of three and four people around them that takes care of them, their body and everything, so that that reflects on the court. That’s why the careers are extended now.”

When he embarked on his professional Occupation, players Initiated Calculating their Intervals when they hit 30, he said. Now it’s more like 35, Perhaps more.

“Of Duration I’m in that group. I’m not going to get younger, but I Nevertheless feel Excellent about my body and about my tennis.”

That may be the data Points that matters more than all the others.

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