Underrated Traits of the Greats: Novak Djokovic's forehand versatility

Welcome to Underrated Week! From May 4 through 8, TENNIS.com is focusing on the most overlooked aspects of the sport, from stats to achievements to tactics, and beyond. We're also featuring 10 players because of something they do extremely well, but which isn't their signature quality. It's a series we're calling the Underrated Traits of the Greats.

On the whole, the various elements of Novak Djokovic’s game seem to be properly rated. We know his return of serve is among the best in history. We know his two-handed backhand is among the best in the game today. We know that he has improved his serve and made it an important weapon. We know that, while he once had a reputation for pulling the plug and retiring from big matches, he has long since reinvented himself as the king of the epic five-set victory. We also know that if he has a weakness, it’s his net game. In a recent Instagram chat, Djokovic himself asked the public for tips on how to hit better overheads.

But there’s a shot of his that I didn’t mention in the paragraph above: the forehand. When you describe just about any other top player today, and especially his two major rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, their forehand is the first thing you mention. Roger and Rafa’s games are designed to give them a chance to finish as many points as possible from the forehand side. With Djokovic, his backhand has always been seen as the difference-maker, and for good reason. It’s what has always allowed him to counter Nadal’s and Federer’s ground-stroke attacks so much more effectively than anyone else. The Serb had no weakness they could exploit.

But in emphasizing Djokovic’s lack of weaknesses, we’ve underrated the strength of his forehand. No, he doesn’t rely on it the way Federer and Nadal do, and he doesn’t hit as many jaw-dropping inside-out winners with it. In part that’s because he doesn’t need to; he can do that almost as well with his backhand. But Djokovic’s versatility with his forehand is the equal of theirs.

When he hits it crosscourt, it’s heavy and spins away from his opponents, pushing them wide. It’s also a repeatable shot that doesn’t involve a lot of risk. That may not sound all that exciting, but when he’s feeling confident, Djokovic will add a little sidespin mustard, hook the ball at a more acute angle, and send his opponent scrambling beyond the double alley.

Even more underrated is Djokovic’s straight down-the-line forehand. There are few in the game who hit it more cleanly or with more confidence. On this shot, Djokovic, normally the most pragmatically efficient of players, allows a little more flair and swagger to shine through, as he lines the ball up, lifts himself upward, and sends the ball high over the net and deep into the corner.

For most players, going down the line, and thus over the highest part of the net, is a dangerous proposition. But the topspin that Djokovic generates allows the ball to clear the net safely and be propelled forward after it bounces. When he first arrived on tour, Djokovic called his down-the-line backhand his “secret weapon.” Fifteen years later, his down-the-line forehand may be the shot that deserves that name.

In part, that’s because his focus has shifted. In 2017, Djokovic hired stat guru and analytics expert Craig O’Shannessy as his “strategy analyst.” O’Shannessy is a big believer in the power and importance of the forehand, and its superiority over the backhand a weapon. “The forehand is your sword; the backhand is your shield,” O’Shannessy likes to say.

While O’Shannessy understood the quality and reputation of Djokovic’s backhand, he still encouraged him to run around and hit forehands whenever he could, and to create patterns of play—like serving wide in the deuce court—that would help him get more of them.

“Even the players with the best backhands in the world should be looking to hit more forehands,” O’Shannessy says.

With O’Shannessy in his his corner, Djokovic revived his career after a two-year lull and won four of the eight Grand Slam tournaments played in 2018 and 2019. Even after they stopped working together in 2020, Djokovic kept pounding his forehand, and won the first major of 2020 at the Australian Open.

At the start of his career, we talked about the brilliance of Djokovic’s backhand. Maybe, by the time his career is over, we’ll be talking about his forehand the same way—or at least giving it the respect, and the rating, it deserves.

UNDERRATED TRAITS OF THE GREATS: Roger Federer—Winning ugly | Simona Halep—Boldness | Rafael Nadal—When to come to net | Sofia Kenin—Variety | Pete Sampras—Movement | Serena Williams—Plan B | Novak Djokovic—Forehand versatility | Chris Evert—Athleticism | Daniil Medvedev—Reading the room | Naomi Osaka—Return of serve

RANKINGS: The five most underrated tennis stats | The five most underrated No. 1s | The five most underrated Grand Slam runs

YOUR GAME: Why mental strength is underrated | Five underrated tennis tactics