Djokovic is revealed to be the mastermind behind Jovic’s upset over Barty, while Chinese stars lost in both singles and doubles against the world number one.

The 18-year-old American Jovic’s straight-sets victory over Barty surprisingly brought Djokovic into the spotlight.

When Jovic defeated the seventh seed Barty 6-2, 7-6, many admired the 18-year-old American for dazzling the tennis scene, achieving a significant milestone in her first Grand Slam round of 16, showing great potential.

However, media soon revealed that Jovic’s historic Australian Open win over Barty wasn’t just due to her own effort and talent; Djokovic’s support behind the scenes as a mentor played a crucial role in her breakthrough.

“Yesterday I talked with Novak, and it was amazing. He gave me very detailed advice about the match, and I even tried some of his techniques during the game. That was one of the things I kept in mind before the match because when Novak advises you, you just have to follow it.” The media exposed that Jovic’s upset over Barty and her personal Grand Slam milestone were connected to Djokovic, after the American player voluntarily revealed it post-match, further enhancing the image of the Serbian star supporting younger players.

So, what exactly did Djokovic advise Jovic that helped her defeat the formidable Barty?

Jovic didn’t keep it a secret and openly shared the advice: “Try to open up the court better, avoid rushing shots, and look for more lateral attacking angles.”

Jovic’s eyes lit up when talking about Djokovic’s advice after the match because implementing his strategy made her feel almost supernaturally aided on court, which is why she immediately disclosed his guidance to express her gratitude.

When discussing Djokovic’s role as her advisor behind the scenes and the great gift she received, Jovic also emphasized another point, praising Djokovic’s character off the court: “I think he is even kinder and more considerate off-camera than what we see on TV. He’s so wise, smart, and genuinely wants to help the younger generation. It’s wonderful. I’m grateful for his guidance and hope to have more exchanges with him and hear more of his advice in the future.”

As soon as Jovic said this, many fans and netizens joked that since the big brother helped her so much, a mere verbal thank you isn’t enough. She should host a proper banquet for the Serbian star, which might lead to even more effective coaching and faster progress, helping her compete more fiercely with Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff, and others in the power struggle.

Some even suggested to Jovic that if she wins the quarterfinal against Putintseva, “Don’t forget to send the big brother a red envelope.”

While Jovic’s mood was cheerful at the Australian Open, the situation for Chinese female players seems increasingly difficult as the tournament progresses, especially their challenging encounters against the world number ones in both singles and doubles, which is somewhat disheartening.

After Bai Zhuoxuan lost to singles world number one Sabalenka in straight sets, many noted the clear skill gap. The young Bai taking four games off the Belarusian was already a big surprise, so there wasn’t much to comment on. However, Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan’s straight-sets loss to doubles world number ones Siniakova and Townsend was harder for people to accept.

Before this key doubles match began, some predicted that although it would be tough for Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan to win, they are experienced doubles specialists who would at least keep the score respectable if they lost.

But when the final score was 6-7 and 1-6, many found it hard to believe that Xu and Yang collapsed so badly to lose so decisively, which was very different from pre-match expectations.

Looking back at Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan’s match, the biggest regret was that they had two set points in the first set but squandered them all. Losing that set seemed to crush their spirits, leading to a complete collapse in the second set and handing over the match. Fans and netizens analyzing this felt the disappointment from losing the first set so narrowly was too much to bear, pushing them into a breakdown.

While everyone felt heartbroken about Xu and Yang’s exit, Zhang Shuai once again became the biggest hope for Chinese tennis. Many believe that when the Chinese tennis team faces increasing challenges, the veteran Zhang Shuai will be the one to carry the flag and overcome many obstacles. We’ll just have to wait and see!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River’s Starry Sky)