Djokovic is coming off one of the best matches of his storied career after wearing down the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, in an epic four-set semifinal clash.
Djokovic looked strong at the end of his match against Nadal, and I don’t remember him ever losing a match because of fatigue.
Bill Connelly: One would certainly have to excuse both players if they were a little bit heavy-legged, but Djokovic’s fitness levels remain just about unimpeachable, and Tsitsipas’ approach will likely be to keep points short overall.
To have won such an epic match against the most storied of rivals makes for the ultimate emotional high.
Tsitsipas described his semifinal match against Zverev as “full of emotions” and “exhausting,” as he dug deep down the stretch after squandering his early two-set lead.
He needs to serve well, pick up some free points to relieve the pressure, and move Djokovic around and pull him out of his comfort zone.
Tsitsipas doesn’t seem to relax until his back is against the wall, but if he is ready for that moment, he’s more than good enough to do it.
Maine: Tsitsipas pushed Djokovic to five sets in the 2020 French Open semifinals after facing match point in the third set.
For Tsitsipas, he needs to get the ball on his forehand as much as possible to stop Djokovic dominating.
It was absurdly good against Nadal, and when he’s dialed in on that side, it’s almost impossible to get on top of him in rallies.
It has allowed him to see success against Djokovic — he has indeed won twice against the world No.
Tsitsipas also locked down his win over Zverev with an incredibly strong service performance in the fifth set, with three aces and 83% of first-serve points won.
Cambers: The match alone won’t really affect that argument, but the fact that it gives Djokovic the chance to win Slam No.
Given how well he has played on grass and hard courts to date, you have to figure his odds of retiring with the most career Slams become very high if he can seal the deal.
And, at 34, he will still very much be in his prime; if he weren’t able to reach the mark this year, it feels almost inevitable he will get there sooner or later.
He’s been there before, knows what it takes and is going to be nigh impossible to beat despite how well Tsitsipas has played.
Maine: Djokovic played what he called the best clay-court match of his career Friday, but the emotional hangover from such an epic victory will be too much to overcome in just 48 hours, even for someone as mentally tough as Djokovic.