Novak Djokovic: Justine Henin and Boris Becker on his form and ...

Updated 17/01/2024 at 18:39 GMT

In front of some vociferous home support for Popyrin, Djokovic was resolute, even using a confrontation with a heckler to drive him on to victory in the final set.

That didn't take away, however, from some struggles earlier in the match as Popyrin took the second set in style, before fading.

Djokovic also lost a set in his first-round win over Dino Prizmic, and Eurosport expert Henin - speaking on Eurosport Tennis Club - pondered what this says about the defending champion's overall level.

"It means, as he put it, that he's still not able to play his best tennis," Henin, the 2004 Australian Open champion, began.

"He says it much better than we do. You could see from his face that he wasn't feeling particularly well. After the first round, I thought he was more relieved than today.

"Maybe he's going through some physical difficulties, facing young players who want to take their chances. He got through it in four sets, with a little more time on court, but he's in the third round.

"At the end of the first set, we were right not to worry about Djokovic. He was playing extremely well. Popyrin destabilised a Djokovic who was losing his intensity. The world No. 1 came back with a vengeance.

'Come here and say it to my face' - Djokovic responds to fan during Popyrin clash

"There's some inconsistency, but it's all about energy and intensity. He made no secret of it: he wasn't at his best physically, he was a bit ill.

"You always wonder at what level you're going to find this player, at the start of the season or at the start of a Grand Slam, but does it really matter?

"With the matches, the confidence, the experience of a tournament, we know that all that can evolve. He knows that better than any other player. Of course he'd like to be at an even higher level, but at the same time he knows that he's capable of playing better in the next round if he feels better physically."

Boris Becker was another legend of the game poring over the encounter, and as part of Eurosport Germany's Matchball Becker segment, he used his perspective from time spent as Djokovic's coach in the recent past to give a view into the mind of "a born perfectionist".

Becker said: "He [Djokovic] was honest about the fact that he is still behind form and not playing his best tennis.

"He demands the utmost attention from his box and of course the right tactical support.

"Sometimes this is difficult to understand if the returns were actually good but Novak wasn't satisfied with them.

"He's a born perfectionist and always wants to play perfect tennis - that's always challenging for a coach."

Djokovic overcomes Popyrin in four sets to advance - Australian Open highlights

Djokovic plays Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Saturday in the third round.

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