Djokovic has experience, right enough. No man in the history of the sport has ever had more. But will it be enough?
Pierre-Hugues Herbert on Tuesday will not be an easy start to the defence of his title but, then again, at the moment, every player is proving difficult. He admits that finding any consistency has been beyond him lately. Delicately sidestepping any mention of injury issues (that would be, he thought, like opening Pandora’s Box) but he pointed out that he has been here before.
“I have had several of these particular situations in my career where I had to find a fresh start,” he said, “and I was managing to do it. In some instances earlier and in some instances a bit later, but I was managing to find the right game, the right mindset.
“I know exactly what I need to do in a Grand Slam environment. It’s a whole different type of tournament and feel for the tournament than any other.”
And good year or bad for the world No.1, it is hard to argue with that logic.
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