Novak Djokovic Backhand Masterclass: How to Play the Iconic Shot Like the Serb?

There’s no doubt that Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic is one of the greatest tennis players born in the open era. The legend has only shown magic every time he stepped on the court but there’s one particular thing about him that always grabs eyeballs every time he plays.

Though Djokovic has evolved over the years to become the legend he is, this shot of him has been his greatest strength ever since the very beginning of his career. The seven-time Wimbledon champion wasn’t always this great, his signature double-handed backhand was always intriguing to witness. The beauty with which Novak uses the eastern grip on his top hand and the continental grip on his bottom hand to use the biggest weapon of his arsenal is appreciable. 

To hit the backhand, Novak first does a full unit turn and changes the grip on his racket, followed by taking up a neutral or closed stance to turn to his right foot while the racket is pulled backward, during which he keeps his right arm fully extended and relaxed.

As he moves his racket towards the ball with his straight arm, he relies completely on his front foot to generate power. At the same time, he uses his other bent arm to accelerate the racket toward the direction of the ball before hitting it. The ball is hit a little early with him having both his arms extended while his torso is placed at an angle of 45 degrees from the net. 

What is even more surprising is that his left arm remains extended even after hitting the ball. This shows the king of strength it provides to him to hit that masterclass of a shot. However, what makes this even more special is the fact that the 24-time grand slam champion has mastered the art of hitting it so well that his body remains stable after hitting it. 

Immediately after hitting the ball, he lets his left leg out to maintain his balance. He also has the special ability to recover right after the shot. 

Let’s have a look at the top 3 instances where Novak won by administering his backhand shot:

1. Australian Open 2019

The match was purely dominated by the Serb straight from the start to the end, saw him defeating another legend Rafael Nadal in straight sets. However, again his backhand played a vital role in helping him defeat the Spaniard. In the first set itself, Novak played a cross-court backhand to break Nadal’s lead and take a 2-0 lead. This was followed by another backhand in the same set when the scoreboard said 5-3. With no retaliation to this iconic backhand, Rafa eventually lost the match.

2. Doha 2016 final

Beating Rafa again on the hard court, Djokovic was constantly showering his backhands on the Spaniard giving him no chance to bounce back. The highlight of the game was when he was 3-0 up in the first set and delivered a beautiful double-handed backhand down the line. Nadal eventually lost the final in straight sets by 6-1, 6-2.

3. Rome Masters 2016

This game was quite special for Novak as he not only beat Rafa on the clay but also saved five set points in the match to eventually emerge victorious over the Spaniard. Using his most destructive weapon, the Serb star was delivering backhands occasionally to put the Spanish legend in a fix and ultimately took the game away in straight sets, by 7-5, 7-6(4).