Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic claims he is playing pain-free now and hopes the racket change will improve his performances even further. Pictured, Djokovic of Serbia celebrates victory in his Mens Singles match against Borna Coric of Croatia at Monte-Carlo Sporting Club in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, April 18, 2018. Julian Finney/Getty Images

Novak Djokovic is hoping a change in his racket will allow him to emulate Roger Federer and achieve better results in the long run.

Djokovic was dominating tennis until late 2016 when he was overtaken by Andy Murray in the world rankings before suffering a complete slump in 2017.

A long-running elbow problem along with poor performances saw the Serbian drop down the rankings and win just two ATP 250 titles in Doha and Eastbourne before taking time off from the sport after his Wimbledon quarterfinal withdrawal in July.

Djokovic returned in January and while he reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, his performances as a whole did not improve with disappointing losses at Indian Wells and the Miami Open afterward.

However, with the 30-year-old undergoing surgery on his elbow in February and recently reappointing old coach Marian Vajda as he revamped his coaching team, things seem to be on the up for Djokovic as he is now in the round of 16 of the Monte-Carlo Masters.

He notably defeated Dusan Lajovic 6-0, 6-1 in his opening round match in just under an hour and got past Borna Coric 7-6, 7-5 on Wednesday, stating he was finally playing pain-free after two years.

He also revealed he changed his racket earlier in the year which he believes will make a significant impact on his game as he continues to get used to it.

"I changed the racket earlier this year," Djokovic said, as per Express. "I made some small minor changes that actually in our world are quite significant. Agassi and Radek, who worked with me at the time, felt it was a good call for the big picture and for the long run. I feel more comfortable with the racquet as I go along. "

"Obviously it takes a little bit of time. I think Roger [Federer] some years ago also had that racket change, and it took him a little bit, some months, to get comfortable with it."

Federer notably opted for a bigger racket in 2014 following arguably his worst professional year in 2013 when he only won one title at the Basel Open.

The change considerably improved his backhand shots in the long run, which was a key factor not only in his defeat of Rafael Nadal in the final of the 2017 Australian Open, but also in how he was able to experience a career resurgence that began last year, according to many tennis experts.

"I think the backhand has gotten better because I have been able to put in so many hours onto the racket now," Federer said in March last year. "And since this year, I feel super comfortable with the racket, and I think I have gained confidence stepping into it."

Djokovic faces Dominic Thiem in the round of 16 on Wednesday and a win over the young prospect could see the 12-time Grand Slam winner face reigning champion Nadal in the quarterfinal stage.

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