Denis Istomin, at 32 years and world No 93, is not on the best side of either age or the ATP rankings. But as the ATP Tour has shown in the last few years, 30 is no longer a dreaded number on the circuit.

While 2018 saw his form and fitness dip, the Uzbek is hoping to fight his way back to the top, starting with the season-opening Maharashtra Open in Pune.

“Earlier, most players were close to finishing their careers at 30, but now 60% of the top 100 is over 30,” Istomin told Scroll.in.

“A lot of players are over 30 already. Roger [Federer] is also 37 this year... If he can do it, why can’t the others, right? Of course, the young generation is improving a lot but we are still here and still fighting.”

The first player from Uzbekistan to lift an ATP World Tour trophy has been on the fringes of the tour for a long time now. With a best ranking of 33 and a biggest career win over six-time champion Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in 2017, he has held what is the Holy Grail for most pro tennis players.

Fitness first

Istomin believes he can reach those highs again, but has a lot of work to do fitness-wise first. This year, he did not win a single title apart from the singles gold at the Asian Games (and a 2020 Olympics quota spot), and had a win-loss record of 14-19.

“This time the season was not really good,” he admitted. “I was losing a lot and had some injuries between tournaments. I was a little bit unlucky as well. I hope this [new] year will be good. I will plan my tournaments a little different, so let’s see.”

The Uzbek player is back in India after eight years, having last played in the Chennai Open back in 2010. Last year, he started his season in Brisbane and maybe would have continued in Australia, if not for a dip in ranking. But he is happy to be in Pune, playing at the one-year-old ATP 250 tournament, the only such event in India.

“It is less humid than Chennai, not really hot either, so I would say [it is] good preparation for Australia because there is hot [weather] straight away, so for three days you need to adjust,” he said.

Talking about his game, he said that there are still many things to improve upon. “I am working a lot on my health with injuries but I am feeling good now. I have prepared well, so let’s see how it goes. Not like there is something special things I am doing but I am improving everything a little bit, I hope so at least.”

Female coach

Istomin is one of the very few players on tour who has a female coach – having trained under his mother Klaudiya Istomina since he first picked up a racquet aged five – and offers a unique perspective about on the dynamic.

A female coach in the top tiers of pro tennis is rare, especially on the ATP Tour, with the notable names being Andy Murray and now Lucas Pouille. But Istomin thinks that this ratio should change soon.

“If the coaching is working then it doesn’t matter whether it is man or woman, the most important thing is that the coaching relationship must work for the player.

It’s a good thing because women coaches have a very good vision and they are smarter than men for sure. The only thing is that men sometimes don’t want to listen but that is a problem of the men, not the woman,” he said with a big laugh.

But on a more serious note, he added, “The biggest problem, I think, can be communication because men and women have different styles, so sometimes it is tough to communicate. But players are becoming more and more open to female coaches. Even if not many come forward, there will be some.”

2019 goals

The 32-year-old is cautious about his expectations from the next year.

“At my age, it is tough to have some goals because you don’t know what is going to happen,” he said. “But I am enjoying being here, to play and compete and be a top-100 player. So maybe [the goal] is to stay in the top-100 but looking forward to come back in the top 50.”

No conversation about Istomin can be complete without a mention of his biggest triumph. As a wildcard world No 117, he had caused one of the biggest upsets in Grand Slam history when he stunned Djokovic at the Australian Open in 2017.

While many see that as a flash in the pan, Istomin would like to believe that he can repeat a similar top-10 win soon and perhaps make a deep run at Majors. It is not only my goal to beat Novak or reach the fourth round, I want to do more,” he said. “I hope, if my physical condition and game is good, I can do it again.”

Can he do it again, is a different question. But if he can produce half of what he did on that night in Melbourne, Istomin can make his mark in Pune and further in the season.