The actual Novak Djokovic tries to face up in entrance of Serena Williams in Miami

MIAMI — After 20 years {of professional} tennis, 99 profession singles titles and 24 Grand Slam triumphs, Novak Djokovic has grow to be a thriller — to tennis followers and to himself. Each events try to reply the identical query, from match to match and event to event, as his profession strikes in the direction of an as-yet unknown finish.

Who’s the best participant of the fashionable period at this second?

Is he the participant who light two weeks in the past in opposition to Botic van de Zandschulp, in his opening match on the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif.? Or is he the participant who has plowed by his first three opponents in on the Miami Open the previous 5 days, together with Lorenzo Musetti, the world No. 16 from Italy?

Is he the participant whose return of serve, one of many best within the sport’s historical past, has been a shadow of its standard self? Or is he the participant who broke Musetti 5 instances Tuesday night time on his strategy to a 6-2, 6-2 win?

Is he the participant ramping up his schedule as he approaches his thirty eighth birthday, as a result of it’s his final spin across the tennis globe? Or is he the participant he described to the Miami crowd when he instructed them, “You’re going to be seeing me a number of extra years.”

Relating to the topic of Novak Djokovic, Djokovic is like everybody else: all the time looking for the sign within the noise, looking for the information about himself and his tennis that may enable him to separate what issues from what doesn’t. At this second, there may be each an excessive amount of and never sufficient knowledge to determine who and what the Djokovic of 2025 is. All these years later, however simply 14 matches into this season, he has grow to be the game’s worldwide man of thriller — definitively not what he as soon as was, and looking for the reply of what he might be.

“I do hope and want for Novak that you just noticed tonight, after which on the identical time, I labored laborious to not have the Novak that was enjoying in Indian Wells,” Djokovic mentioned within the blended zone with reporters when his match with Musetti was over. “The continuity or consistency of the extent of tennis these days for me is tougher than it was years in the past or 10 years in the past, 5 years in the past, and I do know that.

“That’s undoubtedly not on account of lack of hours spent on the apply courtroom and within the gymnasium as a result of I nonetheless preserve the dedication. It’s there, however it’s simply makes it a bit tougher for me to keep up the extent.”

Djokovic resides by a typical false impression about what occurs to elite athletes declining from their peaks. The apexes keep sharp and accessible in fleeting moments, even once they want them most: Djokovic discovered his on his otherworldly run to the gold medal finally yr’s Paris Olympic Video games. It’s the steadiness that erodes, the repetitions which might be obligatory to keep up their excellence.

Djokovic’s greatest triumph this yr got here on the Australian Open, the place he beat Carlos Alcaraz within the quarterfinals after a collection of wins that had included severe dips in his stage, throughout which younger and inexperienced opponents discovered methods to harm him however couldn’t end him off.

Gorgeous because it was, the victory was additionally one of many strangest tennis matches in reminiscence. Djokovic suffered a muscle tear within the first set, however by some means managed to win in 4, because of a heady cocktail of painkillers, adrenalin and an inexplicable Alcaraz breakdown. The Spaniard succumbed to the stress of enjoying Djokovic, of fascinated with his opponent’s tennis and his bodily situation greater than he was considering of his personal.

Three days later, Djokovic needed to retire from his semifinal in opposition to Alexander Zverev on the finish of the primary set due to his muscle harm. When he arrived in Florida, he had not received a match since beating Alcaraz on that January night time in Melbourne.

In Miami, he has wins in opposition to Rinky Hijikata, a 24-year-old Australian who has performed 13 Grand Slam matches, simply over half the variety of Grand Slam titles that Djokovic has received. He then beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli, a 25-year-old Argentine who has by no means received a Grand Slam match.

Each matches opened with a blowout set and ended with Djokovic profitable a tiebreak. It’s one of the vital acquainted patterns in Djokovic matches over time, simply inverted: the tight set to loosen every part up earlier than the acceleration to victory swapped for a quick begin after which an ebbing finish.

Then got here Musetti. On paper, he appeared like a official risk. On the courtroom, Djokovic picked up his head and noticed Serena Williams sitting within the stands. He checked out his field and noticed Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro, the retired Grand Slam champions. One his coach; the opposite his good pal. All these massive names made him a bit starstruck and nervous about enjoying nicely, particularly in entrance of Williams, the best feminine participant of all time.

Musetti’s elegant all-court sport fits grass, clay and gradual laborious courts, however he stays moderately misplaced on quick ones. Towards the very best hard-court participant within the historical past of the game, he broke serve within the first sport and surged to the phantasm of a 2-0 lead constructed on making the match bodily. Djokovic determined he wasn’t going to play a match like that and received the subsequent 9 video games to grab management. Musetti confirmed about as a lot resistance as a swinging door.

On Wednesday night time, Djokovic will face Sebastian Korda, the younger and proficient American of a thousand renaissances, seemingly all the time on the cusp of saying himself. Korda, 24, continues to be looking for his method after a few years of wrist accidents; he obtained therapy on his wrist throughout his round-of-16 win over Gael Monfils on Tuesday.

Djokovic received their solely earlier assembly, in Adelaide, Australia, two years in the past. He may get some extra knowledge about their matchup and about himself Wednesday, however it’s not clear how match Korda might be to provide him what he wants. Djokovic no less than has no doubts about his needs: to maintain enjoying on the highest stage in an period when even the youngest gamers strategy the sport with a stage of professionalism unprecedented when he was beginning out.

“Health and restoration and simply general strategy to the work, from each bodily and psychological facet has improved a lot,” he mentioned in Miami.

“These days, just about each participant within the high 30 on the planet has a full group of three and 4 individuals round them that takes care of them, their physique and every part, in order that that displays on the courtroom. That’s why the careers are prolonged now.”

When he launched into his skilled profession, gamers began counting their days once they hit 30, he mentioned. Now it’s extra like 35, possibly extra.

“After all I’m in that group. I’m not going to get youthful, however I nonetheless be ok with my physique and about my tennis.”

Which may be the information level that issues greater than all of the others.

(High photograph: Al Bello / Getty Photos)