Inside Djokovic's Class On Grass
True or false? Novak Djokovic has a higher winning percentage on grass courts than Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Tony Roche, and Bjorn Borg.
Djokovic is gunning for his third straight Grand Slam victory in 2021 at Wimbledon after securing the first two majors of the year in Melbourne and Paris. So how good is the Super Serbian on grass? The answer to the question above is true as he boasts a first-rate winning percentage of 84.1 (95-18) on grass to trail only Roger Federer (87%) among active players. Djokovic has won Wimbledon five times, and if he rules the roost at SW19 again this year, it will be his third consecutive victory at The Championships after triumphing in 2018 and 2019.
Winning Percentage By Surface
What is fascinating is that Djokovic’s winning percentage on grass and hard courts is almost identical. Djokovic has won 84.3 per cent of his matches on hard and 84.1 per cent on grass.
Novak Djokovic: Winning Percentage By Surface
| Surface | Winning % | W/L Record |
Career Standings By Surface |
| Hard | 84.3% | 613-114 | 1st |
| Grass | 84.1% | 95-18 | 2nd |
| Clay | 80.5% | 243-59 | 2nd |
Djokovic’s game style on grass is built around a stubborn refusal to let opponents make him uncomfortable and force him into errors. When you compare his 2019 tournament metrics head-to-head with Federer — whom he defeated in a thrilling five-set final after saving two championship points — you uncover that Djokovic hit fewer winners and committed more unforced errors for the tournament compared to his Swiss rival. The secret sauce was not letting opponents boss him around the court and force him into mistakes.
At Wimbledon in 2019, Djokovic hit 87 fewer winners throughout the tournament than Federer and committed 10 more unforced errors. But the Serb committed 71 fewer forced errors, putting the magnifying glass on how difficult it is for his opponents to get the upper hand in the rally against the Serbian.
If Djokovic triumphs at Wimbledon over the next fortnight, his hard-court pedigree will make him a red-hot favourite to complete the calendar-year Grand Slam in New York in September. Djokovic is first in career break points converted on hard courts, breaking 45 per cent (2630/5849) of the time. He is also the career leader in second-serve return points won at 55.7 per cent (12,156/21,827).
With Djokovic already winning in Melbourne and Paris, all eyes will be on his efforts to triumph in London and New York. His grass-court pedigree is exemplary. His hard-court prowess is even better. It’s game on for calendar-year Grand Slam glory.