Novak Djokovic gets honest about how he felt after adding another important layer to his game ahead of Miami Open final

Novak Djokovic recently addressed the technical details of his serve. The Serb expressed satisfaction over the fact that his serve might not be the fastest but is reliable in terms of accuracy. He also hilariously compared himself to Reilly Opelka and John Isner, who, according to the ATP, has the fastest and most efficient serves. While Isner's serve of 253.0 km/h (157.0 mph) at the 2016 Davis Cup was the fastest ATP-recorded serve, Opelka's 240.3 km/h (149.3 mph) bullet at the Australian Open 2021 is not far behind either.

Djokovic made it to the finals at the ongoing Masters 1000 event in Miami. He defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinal to earn a spot in the title match. Djokovic's serve turned out to be a major highlight as he delivered five aces, with 87% of his first serves ensuring clear dominance over the Bulgarian.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion remembered discussing his dominant serve with Tim Henman. In a press conference at the Miami Open, he cheekily mentioned feeling like Reilly Opelka and John Isner while expressing satisfaction over his serve numbers.

"At times in the last couple of matches, I was joking with Tim Henman in the post match interview that now I know what it feels like to be Isner or Opelka.... and just make most of your first serves. Maybe not as many aces as these guys but it just helps tremendously," Novak Djokovic said (via TennisONE).

The 37-year-old also admitted that he is a baseline player with strong forehands and backhands. He also mentioned how his focus mainly lies on landing the serve accurately and not fiercely.

"I'm a baseline player and for most of my career, the return and the backhand are probably the two shots that have been talked about the most when it comes to my game and my success. Maybe the serve has been a bit underrated, but I always liked my serve, particularly when it comes to accuracy and precision, rather than speed. I mean it's great to hit a 130, but I'd rather serve a 120 mph and hit the line and hit the perfect spot," he added.

After the tremendous win, Novak Djokovic will now prepare to battle past Jakub Mensik to clinch his 100th career title.

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Novak Djokovic sees the upcoming showdown as a "great opportunity"

Novak Djokovic: TENNIS: MAR 28 Miami Open - Source: Getty

Novak Djokovic couldn't contain his excitement as he approached his 100th career title. In an interview following his victory over Grigor Dimitrov, the Serb mentioned how he had been waiting for this moment after earning the gold medal in Paris.

"Ever since I won my 99th [title], which was the Olympic Games in Paris, I've been playing with the prospect of winning the special 100 titles. I've been trying to find that necessary and much-needed level of tennis that will put me in a position to fight for a trophy, a big trophy," he said (via BBC).

Djokovic also mentioned how the upcoming showdown against Jakub Mensik is nothing less than a "great opportunity" for him.

"That's what I've been doing this week, to be honest. I've been very happy with the way I prepared for the tournament, the way I've been playing. I haven't dropped a set. It's a great opportunity. Let's see what happens in two days," he added.

The Miami Open final showdown is scheduled to commence on Sunday, 30th March where the Serb will be playing as the oldest man ever to reach a Masters 1000 final.