There’s one tennis player who really doesn’t need to make any broad or far-ranging New Year’s resolutions, but even then, he can make one specific and targeted resolution. What must Novak Djokovic resolve to do this season, and what must his closest competitors resolve to do?
Novak Djokovic
New Year’s Resolution: Win At Roland Garros
The reality is very simple for Djokovic, who enjoyed a tremendous 2015 season. He did almost everything that had to be done in tennis. He won three major tournaments. He won the season-ending tournament in London, indoors. He won six of the Masters 1000 tournaments and reached the finals of two others. The ninth Masters 1000 tournament is one he didn’t enter, so he was 8 for 8 in terms of making finals at Masters tournaments. Djokovic hasn’t failed to make the final of a tournament in a full year’s time. He was incredibly consistent and was a model of excellence for all tennis players. What can he possibly resolve to do in the new year?
Just one thing: win the French Open. It’s the only thing Novak Djokovic has never done in his career. He won’t have a complete resume until he wins that one tournament. If he doesn’t win three major tournaments this year but wins the French Open, there’s a part of him which will still feel satisfied about what he did. The good news is that this tournament should be within reach as Rafael Nadal has faded and Djokovic has improved on the clay court surface in recent years.
Rafael Nadal
New Year’s Resolution: Be More Efficient
The New Year’s resolution for Nadal is to play more efficiently. One of the things people are wondering about Nadal is if he can be as good at age 33 or 34 as Roger Federer can be. A lot of analysts are skeptical about this, so Nadal, who will turn 30 in 2016, needs to not only try to win tournaments with his defensive style; he will need to win a lot of matches with a more offensive style, in which he tries to attack more and get to the net. This will save some of Nadal’s strength and stamina over the course of the year, leaving him in better condition for the latter stages of tournaments. Nadal needs a good 2016, but he also needs a 2016 which will put him in good position to be a legitimate contender in 2017 and 2018. That’s what he really needs for his career. Many people wonder if he can last that long as his body has taken such a beating throughout the years during his previous runs.
Andy Murray
New Year’s Resolution: Improve Second Serve
The New Year’s resolution for Murray is to work on his second serve and make it a reasonably effective shot. Murray’s second serve is noticeably weaker than the second serves of Djokovic, Nadal, and Roger Federer. It’s the thing which makes Murray a less accomplished player with far fewer major championships than his rivals and contemporaries. If Murray could ever make his second serve a neutral shot instead of a flawed and negative shot, he would win more tournaments and play the likes of Federer and Djokovic on more even terms. This is Murray’s secret to winning more major tournaments.
Roger Federer
New Year’s Resolution: Relax On Break Points
The Swiss has a simple New Year’s resolution, and that is to relax on break points, not rushing or forcing shots which he misses, or which get him into losing positions on the court. Federer continues to have problems converting break points. It’s why he lost the U.S. Open final to Djokovic. It’s why he lost the 2007 French Open final to Rafael Nadal. Federer has to be able to settle himself down on the biggest points of matches against Djokovic and Nadal. If he can win those points in 2016, the same points he didn’t win enough in 2015, he could take the next step and win a major tournament.
