The start of the new season is getting closer and closer and Novak Djokovic has begun to prepare for the Brisbane International, in which he will try to win the 100th title of his legendary career. The former world No. 1 has already set his goals for 2025, which could be his last year at the highest level.
The 37-year-old from Belgrade has shown some signs of decline this season, where he has failed to win a single title suffering several very surprising defeats in second-tier tournaments. Not even the Grand Slam tournaments saved Nole, who only reached the final at the Wimbledon Championships thanks to a fairly favorable draw.
His sensational win at the Paris Olympics showed the world that Novak can still be competitive, but he needs to be 100% physically and technically to be able to defeat opponents much younger than him (like Sinner and Alcaraz).
Novak Djokovic, Wimbledon 2019© Stream screenshot
The current world number 7 will not be the top favorite at the 2025 Australian Open, but no one can afford to underestimate him if he reaches the second week. The Serbian legend will have Andy Murray by his side as coach at Melbourne Park and his help could be crucial in the decisive stages of the tournament.
The announcement of this new collaboration has left everyone speechless and insiders are wondering if it will work well or not. Djokovic does not have an easy character to manage and often tends to get nervous during matches, but Andy knows him well and will be able to give him useful advice especially from a tactical point of view.
Agassi opens up on Nole
During an event in Bengaluru, ATP legend Andre Agassi – who coached Nole for a brief stint between 2017 and 2018 – analyzed the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s prospects: “It’s hard to say, Father Time always wins. He’s already done so much, so long, and it’s hard to imagine longer. I think he’ll run out of the energy for it more than the capability of it, I would imagine.
Novak Djokovic© YouTube screenshot
It cannot be easy, especially when the people you came to the dance with have left, that’s a big thing. When Pete Sampras retired, it was a blow to me. It set me back a little bit. It made me have to rediscover my inspirations on some level.
And he has lost the guys that he’s made history with. So, it’s probably emotionally going to get tougher and tougher quickly, but I would never bet against him. Bet against him at your own peril.”
The former world No. 1 has also promised that he will play more tournaments in 2025, but his focus will be mainly on the Major tournaments and the Davis Cup.
Two young rivals
The feeling is that Novak is looking for new solutions to defeat Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who are the two new leaders of the men’s tour. The Italian and the Spaniard shared the four Grand Slam tournaments played in 2024 and beat the Serbian legend several times.
Jannik prevailed over Nole in the semifinals of the Australian Open and the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters, preventing his rival from winning his 100th title. Carlitos – on the other hand – defeated him in the final of the Wimbledon Championships for the second year in a row.
However, the 37-year-old from Belgrade surprised the Spaniard in the final of the Olympic tournament this summer by making the difference in the decisive moments thanks to his experience. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was a clear underdog on the eve of that match, but he put in an incredible performance that allowed him to realize his biggest dream and complete the puzzle.
Novak Djokovic© La Nacion – YouTube
In an interview with ‘Tennis365’, Australian legend Pat Cash discussed Djokovic’s plans: “Older players fall into this trap every time that they are trying to save their body and they don’t always get a good balance on playing enough matches.
We often say you can’t afford to get into tough five-set matches in the first week of a Slam as you need to stay fresh and that’s especially true when you get older.”
Pat continued: “If you don’t have enough matches under your belt and you play a long one early on, I tell you what, you are going to be so sore.
Andy has had a lot of injuries, but he always tried to play a lot of tournaments through to the end of his career and for me, that’s the big secret for Novak in the next year. If he can get his schedule right and make sure he has the right number of matches under his belt, he can win again.”
Tennis World USA