At the 2023 French Open, Novak Djokovic sparked curiosity during the tournament after his second-round victory. Following a grueling opening set, where he eventually overcame Marton Fucsovics, Djokovic removed his shirt, revealing a small, round metal disc taped to his chest. This unusual sight prompted Tennis Channel commentator Jim Courier to jokingly dub him “Iron Man.” Fast forward to 2025 and Djoker’s unconventional aid during matches is back. This time it appears in his hands!

Facing American Sebastian Korda on Thursday, the then World No.1 had to work hard for his victory. After a strong start, taking the first set, Djokovic struggled in the second, falling behind with Korda securing an early break and leading 5-2. However, Djokovic rallied to force a tiebreak, which he won, securing a straight-sets victory. Interestingly, his comeback seemed to coincide with a peculiar tactic he employed during breaks.

Djokovic was observed wearing large blue gloves, which he used to rub on his neck and face while seated. It was later revealed that these gloves contained ice packs, a method Djokovic used to cool himself down.

Sky Sports analyst Martina Navratilova praised the 37-year-old for his innovative ‘gloved strategy’ to managing the challenging conditions. “They’ve had this years ago, it can lower your body temperature in like 30 seconds,” she said, as reported by Express.co.uk on March 27. “It cools down the blood supply. I don’t know why more people haven’t been using them.”

As the Atlanta Open reached its final year in July 2024, a unique cooling method was catching attention amidst the week’s sweltering heat and humidity. Professional tennis players were seen utilizing a mitten-like device known as the CoolMitt during competition. How did the device work?

This innovative technology works by exchanging heat from the hands with temperature-controlled air circulated by water traveling through the bloodstream. Notably, the CoolMitt was made available to every athlete participating in the tournament as “just small percentages of improvement”, as Kevin King, the Georgia Tech men’s tennis assistant coach, put it, is essential. “So, this device definitely provides that.”

One can say the gloves really did save Djokovic against Korda. Even the six-time Miami champion himself admitted it while praising the American.

Novak Djokovic admires his QF opponent ahead of the Miami Open semifinal

During a post-match interaction with Sky Sports, dated March 28, Novak Djokovic confessed, “I am very relieved I won in straight sets. I was quite nervous, to be honest, because you never know what comes from Korda.” The two have previously met as well in the past.

Back in 2023, during the final of Adelaide International, Korda gave a hard time to the Serbian. In the first two sets, Korda forced the results into a tie-break before pushing the battle to a decider. However, the former World No.1 eventually managed to win the title with a score line of 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. Continuing his praise of Korda, Nole added, “He’s so aggressive, so talented. He then summed it up, saying, “Very tense match but a great performance.”

After his hard-earned victory in the QF, Djoker has become the oldest ATP Masters 1000 semi-finalist. At 37 years and 10 months, he’s surpassed 20-time Slam king and Swiss Maestro Roger Federer. The latter previously held the record at 37 years and 7 months. The Serbian will now look to create another record in Miami Open.

If he wins his SF match against Grigor Dimitrov on Saturday, Djokovic will move into the title clash on Sunday. And if he lifts the trophy, the former World No.1 will become the player with the most number of Miami Open titles. Currently, he’s at 6-6 alongside former American great Andre Agassi.

Speaking more of his upcoming clash with Dimitrov, Djokovic has a clear edge. In the h2h tally, he’s currently leading 12-1 against the Bulgarian. When they met last time, it was in 2023 during the Paris Masters final. Back then, the Serbian emerged victorious with a score line of 6-4, 6-3. Will Dimitrov take his revenge this time? What’s your prediction? Let us know in the comments below.