Novak Djokovic is a player who has been renowned for his remarkable solidity throughout his career.
It’s almost ironic that he is the picture of consistency and steadiness, given the tumultuous way in which he burst onto the scene.
However, through hard work and dedication, he formed himself into a bastion of the sport, indomitable and unshakeable on the very biggest stages, against some of the best to ever play.
His success is born of many things, but chief among them was his willingness to improve.
The serve is just one facet of his remarkable and ever-evolving game that deserves so much credit.
Novak Djokovic’s serving advice for amateur tennis players
Speaking to TIME Magazine back in 2009, the Serbian superstar sought to offer a free tennis lesson on all of his core shots, from his patented backhand to the deft drop shot.
However, it was his serving advice that would perhaps be the most important for an amateur, seeking some marginal gains on a shot notoriously difficult for the average player.
Novak Djokovic suggested: “In that case, I always try to toss the ball a bit higher. Tossing the ball higher gives you more time to involve your legs, which basically, maybe even the most important, you know, part of your body for the serve, including the wrist.
“It’s very important, the moment of impact, the moment of impact, the speed and pace, where you get it from the wrist, you know? So acceleration from this part of the, from this part of the arm, from the elbow, and of course, the wrist section in the end.
“And you want to keep your upper body as loose as possible.”
Novak Djokovic’s serve has undergone a transformation throughout his career
Just like the very best tennis players, Djokovic has always strived for self-improvement.
Both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have been the perfect contemporary examples of this, particularly throughout 2025, where they have reinforced their dominance over the ATP Tour.
Patrick Mouratoglou picked who he thought had the better serve out of Sinner and Alcaraz just last week, ironically.
The former in particular has undergone a serving transformation since losing the US Open final, and that proficiency and progression were abundantly clear in the ATP Finals, where the Italian served his way to yet another title at the event.
Djokovic’s serve has seen a similar transformation across a sprawling, stunning career, in an effort to keep himself one step ahead of his opponents.
Were it not for his diminishing physicality, there’s no doubt that he’d still be competing for Grand Slam titles with this duo.
His serve has altered time after time in an effort to keep up with the trends, changing the power and placement on multiple occasions. Even more recently, he has started being more aggressive on the second serve in order to shorten the amount of time spent actually playing tennis.
This is the most important shot in tennis, and Djokovic’s willingness to adapt throughout his career should stand as proof of this.
