If there’s a player who likes to be the center of attention, the one who cracks up the crowd and becomes a favorite on YouTube, it’s Novak Djokovic. Just last month, after beating Radek Stepanek at the U.S. Open, Djokovic added to his body of work as the class clown. He looked up at the broadcast booth, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, and “challenged” Johnny Mac to a hit in front of the well-lubricated, late-night crowd. It was classic Djoker, a moment that revealed his charm and unfailing desire to be in the spotlight. Unfortunately, the 2008 Australian Open champion hasn’t been in the spotlight for much else, unless you count a striptease he did in Montreal.

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Djokovic, the 2008 Australian Open champ and a finalist at the U.S. Open in 2007, was underwhelming at the majors this season.

But it was his defeat at the hands of Roger Federer in the U.S. Open semifinals that, if you’re a Djokovic fan, is most troublesome. Although the score (7-6, 7-5, 7-5) was close, the match wasn’t. While Federer played well enough, Djokovic never looked like he believed he could win. Perhaps he should have borrowed a pair of shoes from Melanie Oudin. The Djokovic of old, the one who crashed the scene in ’08, would have had a chip on his shoulder and not shown Federer so much deference. Instead, we got a smiling, seemingly content Djoker who had all the bite of a Chihuahua.

What happened to the player with the smug mug who delighted in the opportunity to knock the likes of Federer off his perch?

Todd Martin, who Djokovic hired as one of his coaches right before the U.S. Open, was there in Djokovic’s box when he lost to Federer, taking copious notes. When asked what he was jotting down, Martin dryly replied, “I can’t believe so many people are surprised that people in athletics know how to write.”

Moving on to his analysis of the match, he says, “It felt like, in the grand scheme of the match, Roger was ready and willing to take advantage of opportunities. Novak struggled a little bit at being at peace with himself and seizing the moment when it comes. Against the Top 5 guys, those moments are going to be few and far between. If you’re not alert to make the most happen for yourself, it won’t happen.”

While Martin won’t give away any company secrets, lest the information find its way into enemy hands, he intends to sharpen Djokovic’s strokes, strategies, and mind game. Martin would like to see his charge hit more forehands from the middle of the court. “His forehand is more temperamental than his backhand,” Martin says. “His backhand is like the morning news—it always shows up. His forehand has the potential to be a great weapon. Novak likes to use it in different ways. I’d like to see him hit more forehands, and make more of the opportunity of hitting forehands from the middle of the court.”

Martin also emphasizes the importance of keeping a steady focus regardless of the score. You see it in the most successful champions, he says, the ability to build momentum after a good point and, more importantly, to forget a poorly played one as soon as it’s over. “The best competitors are able to erase the chalkboard and go back to doing the things, the gameplan, that are in permanent ink.”

Djokovic’s mind may indeed be his greatest vulnerability. He’s not a headcase in the theatrical spirit of the game’s most celebrated underachievers, Marat Safin or Illie Nastase. But his meltdowns are no less spectacular. At times, when he finds himself on the losing end, he appears to put in the old college try, eschewing the percentages in favor of the kind of high-risk shot-making of a player who’s mentally checked out.

There’s no doubt that Djokovic is supremely gifted, the best jock in the Top 5. Martin, for one, marvels at his explosive movement and his ability to maintain a high level of ball control when he’s stretched out wide or in an otherwise awkward position. With his gifts, Djokovic should be putting together a more consistent record and adding to his single Grand Slam trophy.

And that may just be a matter of time. It’s not as if the Serb’s game needs a complete overhaul, of course. He’s like a sports car—high performance, and highly temperamental. Getting a tune-up might be all that Djokovic needs to get him back into the spotlight for the best reason of all, his tennis.

James Martin is the editor in chief of TENNIS magazine. A version of this blog post originally appeared on ESPN.com.