Novak Djokovic's Quest for Passion

MIAMI, THURSDAY — Novak Djokovic's love for the two tennis tournaments that elevated his name has never faded, but his competitive spirit in matches is currently in a declining phase. Djokovic will seek to rediscover his passion in the ATP Masters 1000 Miami tournament, March 16-30.

Djokovic's return to Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida, United States marks his first appearance since his defeat to Roberto Bautista Agut in the fourth round in 2019. The following year, the Miami Masters was not held due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and Djokovic was absent from 2021 to 2024, partly because he was prohibited from entering the United States due to his unvaccinated status against Covid-19.

His presence this time is not to seek a seventh title in Miami after 2007, 2011, 2012, and 2014-2016. The former world number one tennis player is thinking realistically after a series of poor results and suffering a left hamstring injury earlier this year.

It can be said that I am in search of passion for tennis. I was unable to play to the best of my ability or even come close to it in Doha and Indian Wells.

The injury, a tear, forced him to retire from his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev in January. Djokovic was then eliminated in the first round of the ATP 500 Doha and then in the second round of the Indian Wells Masters, after receiving an early bye.

Thus, Djokovic carried three consecutive losses before facing the Australian tennis player, Rinky Hijikata, in the second round in Miami on Friday afternoon (21/3/2025) local time or early Saturday morning Indonesian time.

"I'm on a tennis journey, to say the least. I couldn't play to my best or even close to it in Doha and Indian Wells. I haven't been at the level I wanted to be since I retired in the semi-finals of the Australian Open," Djokovic told the ATP website after meeting rock star Jon Bon Jovi on Thursday.

Djokovic was deeply disappointed with his performance in the last two tournaments because he always gives his all during practice. "I believe the time will come because I can still play well in Australia. I can still beat Carlos (Alcaraz) there. Hopefully, that pursuit can be achieved here," said Djokovic, who is seeded fourth in the Miami Masters.

In addition to carrying three consecutive defeats, the 37-year-old tennis player has a positive side as motivation to compete with players who are almost all younger than him. Four of his six titles in Miami enabled Djokovic to achieve the "Sunshine Double."

“Sunshine Double” This is a term for a tennis player winning consecutive titles in Indian Wells and Miami. Djokovic is the player who has won the most titles, in 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016. He is one of seven men and four women who have won the “Sunshine Double”.

"I really miss playing in Miami because the atmosphere is amazing. There are a lot of people who love tennis here, like people from South America," said the 24-time Grand Slam winner.

In addition to Djokovic, other players in the same half of the draw will begin their matches on Friday. They include Alcaraz who will face David Goffin and Daniil Medvedev who will face Jaime Munar.

The first round on Thursday local time was marked by drama in the debut of Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca. In his Miami Masters debut, Fonseca kept the atmosphere at Hard Rock Stadium lively on Thursday midnight. The 18-year-old defeated Learner Tien, a 19-year-old American, with a score of 6-7 (1), 3-6, 6-4.

Both showed their abilities with different characters. One thing that made the match unique was the huge support for Fonseca even though he was playing against the home tennis player. Chants of “Brazil! Brazil!” were always heard during the break in the points. Many spectators carried Brazilian flags.

After the match, Fonseca wrote the sentence “Am I in Brazil?” on the camera lens.

What Fonseca did is a tradition on the ATP and WTA Tours. Winners are asked to sign autographs for TV cameras. However, players usually take the opportunity to write a sentence that expresses their feelings.

Fonseca, who will play 19th seed Ugo Humbert in the second round, beat Tien in a dramatic third set. He led 3-2 but had to undergo medical treatment for dizziness and feeling like he was going to vomit. Fonseca continued after taking pills given by the tournament doctor.

When he needed two more points to win, his leg cramped, although not seriously. This time, he chose to continue the match and won.

"I knew it would be tough against Learner. He is a fighter and he is very intelligent in his game. So what I have to do is fight until the end," Fonseca commented.

The two players have previous encounters before competing in Miami. They met twice at the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals, with Fonseca winning both times. The tournament was for the eight best players aged 21 and under throughout the year, and Fonseca won it.

With the title of the 2024 ATP Next Gen Finals, Fonseca showed himself as a potential young tennis player. He got his first title from the ATP Tour at the ATP 250 Buenos Aires tournament in February. Currently, Fonseca is ranked 60th, the highest position in his career in the professional tennis arena which has only been in 2024.

In the women's competition, WTA 1000 Miami, Cori "Coco" Gauff got a big win when she defeated Sofia Kenin in the second round. Coco scored a double bagel, 6-0, 6-0, over the 2020 Australian Open champion.

This is Coco's second double bagel on the WTA Tour after the second round of the 2024 WTA 1000 Madrid. At that time, she defeated Arantxa Rus, but lost to Madison Keys in the fourth round.

"I played very well and maybe she was not at her best because a player who can play at her best can't get a score like that," said Coco, who will face Maria Sakkari in the third round. (AFP)