A lot can change in one year. Novak Djokovic has learned that the hard way. A series of struggles between the lines has yielded a period of self-discovery, as the Serbian looks to reassume his throne atop the tennis world.

Exactly 52 weeks ago, Djokovic was on top of the ATP World Tour, opening a 9,025-point lead in the Emirates ATP Rankings after clinching the title at the Mutua Madrid Open. But soon after, his fortunes began to fade. Professional athletes, even those at the pinnacle of their sport, are not immune to falling victim to their own success, and Djokovic would struggle to maintain his level of seemingly superhuman dominance.

The 29 year old, who fell in his bid to reach his second final of the year on Saturday in Madrid, took time to reflect as he looks to turn the page on a new chapter of his career. In an in-depth joint interview with Spanish media outlets ABC, Marca and El Mundo, the World No. 2 discussed this transitional stage of his career and how he has sought to rediscover his motivation, confidence and ‘mojo’ on the court.

“If I could describe my tennis in one word, I feel like I’m in transition,” Djokovic said. “From the beginning of my career, I have been very fortunate to experience only an upwards direction in my success and results. I have been playing at a high level and with consistent results for many years. After winning Roland Garros, I didn’t know how I was going to feel. I never had that issue after winning a big trophy, of bouncing back and finding new ways to motivate and inspire myself. That is, to keep playing at that level and stay emotionally recharged. 

“But last year I found some emptiness for the first time in my life in terms of motivation. I needed a few months to think about things and get that mojo back on the court. I felt that the start of the season went really well for me this year, winning in Doha. I unfortunately lost in Australia, but mentally I felt better and better as time went by. My game just hasn’t been there. I’m happy I reached the semi-finals in Madrid, which has been my best result this year. It shows me I’m on the right path.”

Djokovic is preaching patience in the process. The soon-to-be father of two is coming off a semi-final finish in the Spanish capital, where he fell to longtime rival Rafael Nadal. He believes it is a step in the right direction as he works to rebuild his confidence and momentum.

“We’ll see whether this week is going to give me that springboard into where I want to be in the next six months,” Djokovic continued. “Or if it’s going to take a little longer, I don’t know. What I know for sure is that I’m doing my very best to rediscover myself in a new way and get the new strength and the new skin, so to speak. 

“If I don’t want to win every match I play, win Grand Slams and be No. 1 in the world, then I wouldn’t be playing tennis professionally. Because I’ve achieved so much in my life and my career, I could leave my racquet aside and just enjoy my life. I have a family and a second baby on the way. Why do I need to stress so much and keep on going? It’s of course because I want to win. It’s always there, but what people didn’t comprehend is that I needed to dig deep inside of me to find the new inspiration and motivation to get the new beginning and a new chapter. The results will follow. It’s a consequence of the good work I’m doing every day in everything I do.”

Prior to Madrid, Djokovic made a significant change in parting ways with his coaching staff, which included coach Marian Vajda, fitness trainer Gebhard Phil Gritsch and physio Miljan Amanovic. After a decade together, he said that he will always cherish the memories made with his longtime team, but it was a necessary move. 

“I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved, but it’s time to move on. The decision to split with my team was a big one and I needed that change for my mindset. There have not been many players who have been with their tennis coach, fitness coach and physiotherapist for 10 years. The overall goals, dreams and aspirations are of course still the same. I don’t go to any tournament just to play. I focus on each and every day as a necessity in the process to reach the final stage and fight for the trophy. Having all these experiences give me confidence that I’ve done it before and can do it again. I have the trust and belief in my abilities. It’s just a matter of getting all these things together.”

Djokovic added that while his ruthless recent run, which saw him finish at year-end No. 1 in 2014-15 and claim a staggering 208 match wins in the past three seasons, was unsustainable, his passion for the game has never waned. He says that when life gives you challenges, it’s how you approach them and work to overcome them that makes you better. 

“As athletes, we are all humans and we all need emotional stability. You may behave like a machine because you are always doing the same things every single day. You are experiencing all these emotions on the court. We all have to deal with it in some ways. When you experience a drop in life or professional sports, you have an opportunity to have a rebirth of something new and something better. 

“Especially now for me, I’m experiencing a fall in my results in the last six to seven months like I’ve never had before. It is an interesting feeling and we all feel much better when we are happy, but this is not how life works. It goes in cycles and while I’ve been through these situations before, maybe in shorter swings and periods, I’m still learning and growing. I hope that the effort I put in will be paying off on the court with results.”

Djokovic is now in Rome for the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the fifth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the year, before embarking on his title defence at Roland Garros. He is bidding to extend a streak of four consecutive seasons with at least one clay-court Masters 1000 crown. 

“At the end of the day, you’re a professional athlete and you’re very successful and work very hard and are talented in certain things, but we all have to deal with everyday problems. I think that vulnerability is not a bad thing. It just makes you stop for a second. Whatever the future holds, I cannot predict it. There are no guarantees. But that’s how the life cycle is and I just try to be the best version of myself every day.”

All he does is win.

Rafael Nadal defeated Dominic Thiem 7-6(8), 6-4 in the Mutua Madrid Open final, moving to 15-0 on clay this season, with every aspect of his game operating like a well-oiled machine. Nadal’s dominance was felt all over the court, but the following five areas were where he specifically created his separation.

Long Rallies

Overall, Nadal won nine more points than Thiem for the match (88 to 79). The Spaniard more than accounted for that margin just in the longer rallies of 10 shots or more, winning 12 more points (20-8) than Thiem in this specific area.

The long rallies also served the purpose of fatiguing Thiem both physically and mentally, especially after such a grueling opening set that included 96 points. Fifty six per cent of total points for the match were played in the “First Strike” zero-to-four rally length, with Thiem having the slight edge, 46-44.

Thiem also won the mid-length rally length of five to nine shots, 22-21, but it was the 17 per cent of total points in the “Extended Rallies” of greater than nine shots where Nadal crafted his edge.

Backhand

Nadal’s backhand typically takes on the role of a defensive shield from the back of the court, yielding as few mistakes as possible, while his forehand dictates much more. But against Thiem, Nadal hit eight backhand winners, often times from spectacular defensive positions.

At 6/6 in the first set tie-break, Nadal ignited the Spanish crowd with an almost impossible short angle backhand winner from deep outside the doubles alley that landed in the cross-court service box.

Serve & Volley

Nadal served and volleyed three times in the match, winning all three points at critical stages. All of them were out wide first serves in the Ad court, catching Thiem standing way back in his comfort zone, very deep behind the baseline to return. Serving and volleying on clay, against a returner who sets up extremely deep, is a very clever play to instantly change the dynamic of the point.

Nadal did it first at 4-4, 30/15 in the opening set, with Thiem’s backhand return not making it over the net. The next time was at 0-1, 30/15 in the second set, with another backhand return error made from deep behind the baseline.

The final time was in the last game of the match, with Nadal serving down break point at 5-4, 30/40. The return floated wide, and Nadal safely moved back to deuce. Thiem also served and volleyed five times in the match, winning three.

Drop Shots

Nadal hit nine drop shots for the match, winning six of them. He primarily used the drop shot when he saw Thiem camped out well behind the baseline, taking advantage of the Austrian’s deep court position by suddenly going short. Five of the six points Nadal won with the drop shot were clean winners, all struck from either right on the baseline or slightly inside.

Drop shots are very much a secondary pattern of play. But for Nadal, they cleverly complement his deep, heavy groundstrokes by providing another part of the court the opponent has to respect.

Serve +1 Forehands

Both players were fervently looking to hit a forehand as the first shot after the serve, maintaining as much offense as possible to begin the point.

Total Serve +1 Forehands

• Nadal 74% (45/61)

• Thiem 87% (48/55)

Nadal won 58 per cent (26/45) when he started the point with a Serve +1 forehand, and 69 per cent (11/16) when he started the point with a Serve +1 backhand combination. Thiem won 54 per cent (26/48) of the points that started with a Serve +1 forehand, and 57 per cent (4/7) beginning with a Serve +1 backhand.

The three big advantages of hitting a forehand over a backhand as the first shot after the serve: 1) upgrade to a more powerful groundstroke; 2) be better able to attack all parts of the court; and 3) to disguise the shot better with the open stance, robbing the opponent of precious tenths of seconds to anticipate where the ball is going.

Thiem started the match more aggressively and led 3-2 with a break, mainly due to his pounding forehand. After the first five games, Thiem’s average forehand speed was faster than Nadal’s (137kmh to 124kmh), and he even had more spin on the ball as well (3507rpm to 3417rpm). The average forehand speed slowed as the match progressed, with Thiem averaging 126kmh to 114kmh for Nadal.

Nadal’s game ticked every possible box today at the Magic Box.

Can anyone stop Rafael Nadal on clay this season?

The Spaniard was as relentless as ever on Sunday, answering everything Dominic Thiem tossed at him during the Mutua Madrid Open final to overcome the Austrian 7-6(8), 6-4 in La Caja Mágica.

The 30-year-old Nadal won his fifth Mutua Madrid Open title and his record-tying 30^th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown, matching World No. 2 Novak Djokovic for the all-time lead.

This season, Nadal improves to 15-0 on clay and has now won three consecutive titles, including two Masters 1000 crowns: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell and the Mutua Madrid Open. The Spaniard has dropped only two of the 32 sets he’s played on the red dirt this year.

The left-hander hardly could have asked for a better week in Madrid. Nadal escaped the tricky Fabio Fognini before dismissing Nick Kyrgios and David Goffin in straight sets. In what was billed as a must-see semi-final against Djokovic, Nadal turned the tables on the Serbian, hitting him off the court to end a seven-match losing streak against the World No. 2. The Spaniard backed up the strong performance with another championship on Sunday.

The title, Nadal’s 51^st on clay, also shows one more time just how dominant the “Big Four” – Nadal, Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray – have been during this golden age of tennis. The champions have claimed 60 of the past 65 Masters 1000 crowns, dating back to 2010 Monte-Carlo.

“Big Four” Masters 1000 titles since 2010 Monte-Carlo

Djokovic: 25

Nadal: 15

Murray: 10

Federer: 10

Others: 5

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The 23-year-old Thiem was playing in his first Masters 1000 final, but the Austrian hardly looked intimidated against Nadal, who was backed by a friendly Spanish crowd. Thiem broke first for a 2-1 lead, blocking a backhand volley that Nadal couldn’t track down. The Austrian was dictating play from the middle of the court, blasting forehands to keep Nadal on the run.

But the Spaniard’s defense only elevated as he climbed his way back into the set, evening the first set at 3-3. Nadal found a more friendly back and forth – his forehand to Thiem’s one-handed backhand – and pinned Thiem in his backhand corner. And with the Austrian feet behind the baseline after consecutive backhands, Nadal would tap a drop shot winner inside the service box.

Neither player would break again in the first set, though. In the tie-break, Thiem continued to challenge the “King of Clay”, erasing set points four and five before Nadal claimed one of the best sets of the year when Thiem sailed a forehand long. Winners ended nearly half of the points in the 18-point tie-break.

The 30-year-old Nadal rode momentum to break in the first game of the second set, and Thiem fought to the end. He erased three match points before Nadal sliced a backhand volley for the title.

Nadal receives 1,000 Emirates ATP Rankings points and is expected to climb to No. 4 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, surpassing Federer. The Spaniard also will receive €1,043,680 in prize money. 

Thiem will celebrate his best week at a Masters 1000 tournament with 600 Emirates ATP Rankings points and €511,740 in prize money. The right-hander is expected to match his career high at No. 7 when the new Emirates ATP Rankings are released on Monday.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head for Sunday’s final at the Mutua Madrid Open & vote for who you think will win! 
Nadal v Thiem 

One day after defeating Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal could tie his rival’s record by capturing his 30th ATP Masters 1000 championship on Sunday. Nadal bids for his fifth title in eight Mutua Madrid Open finals against first-time ATP Masters 1000 finalist Dominic Thiem. The Spaniard has swept 14 matches and 28 of 30 sets on clay this spring, including titles at Monte-Carlo and Barcelona.

Though he lost to Nadal 6-4, 6-1 in the Barcelona final on April 30, Thiem has defeated him on clay before, rallying from match point down in the 2016 Buenos Aires semi-finals. The 23-year-old saved five match points on Thursday in his third-round win over Grigor Dimitrov. Thiem is attempting to become the first ATP Masters 1000, ATP Finals or Grand Slam champion born after 1988.

The doubles final pits No. 4 seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo against No. 6 seeds Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Kubot and Melo are appearing in their third ATP Masters 1000 final of the season after winning the Miami title and finishing as Indian Wells runners-up. Mahut and Roger-Vasselin are 4-0 in finals as a team and playing together for the first time in 2017.

INFOSYS ATP SCORES & STATS

NOTE: Nadal leads Thiem in five categories. Thiem leads Nadal in five categories.

Clay-Court Circuit Continues In Rome: The fifth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the year is in Rome, where 17 of the Top 20 players in the Emirates ATP Rankings will descend. The Internazionali BNL d’Italia first took place in 1930 and has been held every year since 1950. Seven-time champion Rafael Nadal looks for another title in Rome and is joined by fellow former winners Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Murray is the top seed, with Djokovic seeded second, Stan Wawrinka third and Nadal fourth.

10 THINGS TO KNOW IN ROME

1) Title Trio: Murray, Djokovic and Nadal return to Rome, where they have combined for the past 12 titles here. Including Roger Federer, the Big Four has won 36 of 39 ATP Masters 1000 titles since 2013 (92%), 74 of 84 since 2008 (88%) and 95 of 111 since 2005 (86%). Nadal would boost those stats by winning Sunday’s Madrid final.

2) Murray to Defend Title: World No. 1 Murray won his first of nine titles in 2016 at Rome, finishing the season on a 61-4 run after arriving at Foro Italico with a 17-5 record. Murray, who turns 30 on Monday, has played the same number of matches entering Rome this year (16-6, 1 title at Dubai).

3) Same Half for Djokovic, Nadal: Djokovic, a four-time Rome champion, is on the same half of the draw as Nadal for the fourth time in as many ATP Masters 1000 appearances this year. His seven-match and 15-set win streaks against the Spaniard ended in the Madrid semi-finals on Saturday.

4) Remarkable Rafa: Nadal, a seven-time Rome champion, enters Sunday’s Madrid final against Dominic Thiem or Pablo Cuevas with a total of 29 ATP Masters 1000 titles, one shy of Djokovic’s all-time record 30. The 30-year-old lefty is 14-0 in matches and 28-2 in sets on clay this season.

5) Former Finalists: Three other former finalists are in the Rome main draw. Tommy Haas, the 2002 runner-up, makes his final appearance in Rome before retiring later this season. World No. 3 Wawrinka, the 2008 runner-up, and former No. 3 David Ferrer, the 2010 runner-up, are also back.

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6) Major Milestones: Ferrer and No. 12 seed Tomas Berdych are on the verge of major milestones. Fifteen years after his ATP debut, Ferrer is one win from 700 for his career. The Spaniard would join the likes of Djokovic and Nadal as the 13th player to reach 700 victories. Berdych is two wins from becoming the 25th player to earn 600 victories. His coach, Goran Ivanisevic, had 599 wins.

7) #NextGenATP Watch: No. 16 seed Alexander Zverev leads the Emirates ATP Race to Milan. Zverev is joined in the main draw this week by 21-year-old Rome native Matteo Berrettini, the top Italian in the Race to Milan. Fiera Milano hosts the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals November 7-11.

8) Wild Cards: Berrettini is one of four Italian wild cards, joining 32-year-old Andreas Seppi and 22-year-olds Gianluca Mager and Stefano Napolitano. Seppi is making his 12th Rome appearance.

9) Doubles Field: Four-time champions Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan and Daniel Nestor headline the doubles draw. The Bryans have not won a final since 2016 Rome (18 events), the longest drought of their 112-title run that began at 2001 Memphis. Nestor won his first Rome title 20 years ago.

10) First-Round Showdowns: Haas, 39, faces Ivo Karlovic, 38, in the oldest ATP match since Luis Ayala, 49, met Ricardo Cano, 30, at 1982 Vina del Mar. Ferrer seeks his 700th win against fellow 35-year-old Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, Berrettini makes his ATP debut against No. 1 Italian Fabio Fognini, Juan Martin del Potro meets No. 10 seed Grigor Dimitrov, and the highest-ranked unseeded players, No. 20 Nick Kyrgios and No. 21 Roberto Bautista Agut, go head to head.