'Even at 17, Novak Djokovic was at a different level' - Volandri recalls Serb's ATP debut
Great players show signs of their greatness from a very young age, and that was the case with Novak Djokovic too. The 17-time Grand Slam champion made his ATP Tour debut against Filippo Volandri at the 2004 Croatia Open in Umag where he lost 7-6 6-1, but even as a 17-year-old he left a lasting impression.
In a recent interview with ATP, Volandri revealed what he thought of the Serb phenom after their encounter.
This guy is really good: Volandri on teenage Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic was a lanky teenager when he made his debut, and far from the lean finished product that he is today. Still, he displayed quite a few glimpses of his rare qualities all those years ago, which took Volandri by surprise.
The Italian revealed what he had remarked to his colleagues after winning the match:
“Outside the court I was talking with some colleagues and I said, ‘This guy is really good!’ All the players said, ‘Come on, you could have won 6-1 6-1.' But I was right!”
Volandri was most impressed by how Novak Djokovic came back from 5-1 down in the first set to force a tiebreak. This was despite the fact that the Serb was seemingly having breathing issues.
Volandri recalled how Novak Djokovic refused to yield, by saying:
“I was winning easily. I was already a good player and he had a reaction that surprised me. Even though he was fighting with (his breathing) and he wasn’t breathing well, he had a reaction that you have inside or you don’t. You can work on it, but most players are born with something inside where they never surrender and they always try to make a reaction (when they are down). That kind of reaction, 1-5 down, was really impressive.”
Volandri was proven right, as Novak Djokovic went on to become arguably the toughest competitor on tour. The Serb is now known for refusing to give up even if he is match points down.
The most famous example of that is the 2019 Wimbledon final, where Roger Federer had two championship points on his own serve. The match was around the four-hour mark at that time, but Novak Djokovic fought back to break Federer and eventually win the title.
Novak Djokovic has one of the best backhands ever: Fillippo Volandri
Volandri was not only impressed with Novak Djokovic’s mentality, but also his skill-set which at 17 was still underdeveloped. Even at that nascent stage of his career though, the Serb's game had all the hallmarks of budding greatness.
“Already, physically and in terms of flexibility, he was at a different level," Volandri said. "He was so powerful. He was jumping (everywhere) on the court and he put so much spin on the ball without having so much weight. That’s the difference between champions and normal players. They don’t need too much weight to put so much spin on the ball, speed as well.”
The signs were there even in 2004, that Novak Djokovic would be one of the most agile players on tour. He was someone who could not only retrieve well, but also turn defence into attack with the flick of a wrist.
Volandri, who had grown up playing with Roger Federer at the junior level, was immediately able to realize the tremendous potential that Djokovic possessed:
“When someone has something different, it’s tough to explain, you see how they are on court, his attitude, his mental power.”
Volandri didn't stop there, and went on to shower praise on Djokovic’s specific strengths. He did say, however, that he couldn’t have predicted the Serb's rise to the No. 1 ranking - his long stay there.
“Obviously I couldn’t say from that match he’s going to be No. 1 in the world and he’s going to be No. 1 for so many weeks.[Novak has] One of the best backhands ever, one of the best returns ever. In the most important moments, he’s a champion,” Volandri added.