It may be more of a comment about today's tennis game than it is about its best player, but the claim is that Novak Djokovic is "not the most complete player ever."
That's what former Great Britain tennis star Tim Henman believes, according to thehansindia.com.
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Henman, who ranked as high as No. 4 in the world when he played, lamented the demise of serve-and-volley tactics because of the "gradual slowing of playing surfaces, which has prompted players to adopt a pro-backline approach," thehansindia.com reported.
"Yeah, the serve and volley game is dying, you know the surfaces are a lot slower now. The players come to the net less. So they don't develop those skills at a young age. So on the circuit they serve and volley a lot less," Henman told IANS in an interview in India.
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Thus, Djokovic's serve and volley ability is what is lagging in his game.
"No, he is not the most complete player ever. He might be one of the most effective players. I think his every aspect of his game is so advanced and so athletic. He is very solid from the back of the court, one of the best ever. He makes so few unforced errors," said Henman, a six-time Grand Slam semifinalist.
"There's no weakness as such. It looks like he is unbeatable at the moment. But he doesn't come to the net a massive amount. So, you know, his volleys are not the best. But that's not what his game is all about. His athletic ability and speed at the baseline and how consistent his ground strokes are."
The problem for his contemporaries is how to get him to come to the net despite the slower surfaces. And if the game featured more serve and volley play, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Djokovic could adapt.
But a chink in the armor does exist for Djokovic, who is six Grand Slam titles away from tying Roger Federer for the all-time men's record.
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