Shocking exits are becoming the norm for the top two players Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
With the latest losses for the two top men’s players in Monte Carlo, it’s just another indicator that Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic are not playing as a number one and two should. The timeline of 2017 so far has shown a string of early exits, withdrawals from tournaments, and similar injuries for the two players. Both men will be turning 30 next month, born just a week apart, and they both seem to be in the same rut.
Although Djokovic and Murray started out the year in Doha facing each other in a final, in what looked like a continuation of their rivalry over the number one spot from 2016, both players have fared so much worse since then.
Early exits began in Melbourne
When both men arrived in Melbourne in January after their Doha final, all seemed normal and most expected the two to meet in the Australian Open final, like they had the year before.
But then all went to hell in a hand basket. Djokovic was the first to go, bowing out in the second round, defeated by unseeded Denis Istomin in five sets. Andy Murray fared a bit better and made it to the fourth, but was also ousted by lower-ranked Mischa Zverev, in four sets. Both top seeds were sent home early by the likes of relatively unknown players.
The AO finalists ended up being two players who had been all but written off the year before: rejuvenated Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, beating some of the best players on the tour along the way to the final, with the Swiss prevailing in a thriller “down under.”
February recovery for Djokovic and Murray
Djokovic and Murray seemed to recuperate a bit in February, with the Serb progressing to the quarters in the Mexican Open and Murray achieving his only win this year so far, at the Dubai Duty Free Championships. At this time, you had to wonder if the AO performances were just a fluke and if they would get back to their winning streak again with the Masters 1000 series coming up in March.
March: first Masters 1000 tournament at Indian Wells
Even with decent momentum from the Feb tourneys, both Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray came up short at Indian Wells, again losing to lesser players. Clearly, this was not a fluke. The Scotsman went out first, losing to Vasek Pospisil. Djokovic battled through three players, but true to form, was out by the fourth round, defeated by one of the hottest players on tour, Australia’s Nick Kyrgrios. Federer won the tournament here too, of course, beating four top-20 players in his last four matches, including then sixth-ranked Nadal.
Kyrgios and Djokovic have only faced each other twice this year, both times the Australian has won and he now maintains a winning record against the world’s second-ranked player. Federer has played Kyrgios once this year. He missed out on playing the 21-year-old Australian, who withdrew due to food poisoning.
Miami: Djokovic and Murray out with the same injury
At the Miami Masters event, both Federer and Nadal booked their spots in another “dream final,” with Federer defeating Kyrgios along the way in the “match of the tournament.” The Swiss 18-time grand slam champion battled through four top 20 players in his last four matches to grab the title, achieving the “Sunshine Slam.”
You know who was missing? World No. 1 and 2, both out with similar elbow injuries.
“Sadly due to a right elbow injury, I won’t be playing in Miami,” said the British player in a statement prior to the tournament. “Apologies to the fans, it’s one of my favorite tournaments. The focus now is on getting ready for the clay season.”
“My doctor has strongly advised against play because my elbow injury, that I keep carrying on for months, got worse in the past week. I will do everything in my power to recover and do all the necessary therapy to be able to return on court as soon as possible,” Djokovic said on Facebook, about his withdrawal in Miami, where he has won six times.
Clay courts of Europe: a chance for Murray and Djokovic to rebound
With Federer taking time off during the clay season and taking into account the past wins Andy Murray and especially Novak Djokovic have achieved on the “orange dirt,” expectations were raised going into the first tourney of the European clay season at the Masters 1000 event in Monte Carlo.
At the Court Ranier III stadium this week, Djokovic was stopped again, however, this time getting to the quarters, facing No. 10 seed David Goffin from Belgium. It looked like Djokovic was going to clinch the win to make it to the semis, even getting to match point, but not able to close and was out in the quarters again. The 12-time grand slam champion hasn’t made it to a semifinal since Doha, back in the first week of the year.
Top seed Murray went out Thursday of this week, in the third round, to Albert Ramos-Viñolas in three sets, despite having the lead in the third 4-0. Rafael Nadal, having won the title on Sunday, his 10th Monte Carlo crown, holds the clay court record now, with 50 titles.
French Open finalists last year, both Djokovic and Murray went out in Monte Carlo, but have now signed up for the next clay court tournament, in the hopes of building up their clay game in time for another rematch at Roland Garros. The next clay tourney is Barcelona, another title that Rafael Nadal has won nine times.
“My career is in a slightly different rhythm from the previous year,” Djokovic recently told the Serbian website Novosti, via ESPN. “I decided to cut down the rhythm, to preserve my health and prolong the career and to dedicate myself more, at the cost of not having to win every tournament I play.”
Prior to the clay tournament this week, the highest ranked player Novak Djokovic has beaten this year has been then-34th ranked Juan Martin del Potro.
“I’m disappointed to lose from the position that I was in,” Murray said about his tough loss in the third round. “But sitting here, being 4-0 up in the third … I haven’t lost many matches like that in my career. I had enough chances to win… Maybe tomorrow or the day after I’ll be able to look back and think where I’m at now from where I was a week ago.”
Nadal and Federer dominating this year
Both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have defeated much higher ranked players than Djokovic or Murray all season long, including several times in a row, outlasting their younger opponents in some tough matches and hard-fought wins. Novak Djokovic has one ATP 250 tournament win from Doha and Andy Murray has one 500 ATP title from Dubai. Federer has already claimed the first grand slam and both Masters 1000 hard court titles for the year, and Nadal has made it to two of those finals and is likely to claim more clay titles in just a few short weeks.
Rafael Nadal has now won the first clay court title of the season, a Masters 1000 event. He also holds nine French Open titles, as well as Barcelona ones. We saw Roger Federer not only win a historic 18th grand slam but sweep up all the major titles in the first quarter hard court run. With Nadal’s tenth Monte Carlo title, it’s a very good possibility that we might see the 14-time grand slam champ collect a record tenth title in three clay court tournaments, including the French grand slam, affirming that he truly is the “king of clay.” The Spaniard had shared the clay court record with the great Guillermo Vilas for so long at 49 titles, but with Monte Carlo, he now holds the record outright at 50.
Just like the first quarter was the time of Federer, this second quarter is shaping up to be the time of Nadal.
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What it is not, is the time of Djokovic, nor the time of Murray, both of whom seem to be playing like lesser competitors compared to their elder statesmen. Federer and Nadal are the “real” number one and two, in my opinion.