Novak Djokovic has participated in a few events in the last week, before starting the preparation for the next season. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was in Doha for a few days to sign his new partnership with Qatar Airways, before the announcement that Nole will play the prestigious tournament in Doha in 2025.
Qatar Airways is the main sponsor of the Doha ATP 500, which is why this announcement did not surprise anyone. The former world No. 1 then traveled to Argentina, where he played an exhibition match with his great friend and former rival Juan Martin del Potro in Buenos Aires on December 1st.
Juan Martin del Potro & Novak Djokovic© Stream screenshot
The Argentine – who ended his career on the professional tour in Buenos Aires in 2022 – was able to play his last match in front of his fans and both players were moved at the end of the clash.
The 37-year-old from Belgrade really realized an era has ended. In the last couple of years, Novak has seen some of his biggest rivals such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Dominic Thiem and Juan Martin del Potro retire.
A different side of Nole
The Serbian legend will be the last survivor of the old generation in 2025 along with Stan Wawrinka, who is a long way from the top of the ATP tour right now. The current world number 7 gets excited thinking about the passing of time and wanted to praise all those who have made his career so special.
“I am still playing and I believe I am part of a golden era” – Djokovic said in a recent interview. “Federer, Nadal, Murray, Delpo, Stan Wawrinka… it is a very special era for our sport. Our personal careers have been influenced by all these rivalries of the last 15 years.
For me, looking at this year, it is an incredible thing. I am a bit sad because my greatest rivals have left. A part of me, in terms of tennis, also leaves with them, but I continue to seek this motivation.
Now I work with a new coach, one of my biggest rivals, who inspires me to see if we can achieve great things in our sport” – he added.
The former world No. 1 is looking for new motivations at this last stage of his career and knows that 2025 will determine his future in professional tennis. The Serbian ace – who did not win a single title in 2024 – wants to try to clinch his 25th Grand Slam title and his 100th title ever next season.
Novak Djokovic© La Nacion – YouTube
Recently, the 37-year-old from Belgrade announced that Andy Murray will be his coach at the 2025 Australian Open. A decision that left everyone speechless, but which confirms the Serbian’s willingness to give his best to end his career on his own terms.
For the first time in his career, Nole will not be the top favorite at Melbourne Park. Novak will start the tournament behind Sinner and Alcaraz, on the same level as Sascha Zverev. No one knows better than Djokovic how to win the Australian Open, a tournament in which he carved his legend by triumphing ten times.
Tennis is still a priority
Tennis is still a priority for the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who is not afraid to externalize his ambitions and face players much younger than him. Novak is very focused on the upcoming season, which is why he has decided to skip the last events of 2024 (such as the Rolex Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin).
The Serbian’s 2025 will start in Brisbane, where he will try to win the 100th title of his legendary career. The world number 7 has promised that he will play more tournaments next year, in order to be more ready for his real goals. Nole struggled a lot in the second-tier tournaments in 2024, making the difference only in Shanghai where he reached the final.
Novak Djokovic, ATP Finals 2023© Stream screenshot
Some fans and insiders have criticized Novak’s choice to skip the last tournaments of 2024 without any real reason. The former world number 1 was supposed to defend his titles in Paris-Bercy and Turin, but he decided to end his season well in advance.
In a recent YouTube interview, Julia Apostoli – Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mother – praised Djokovic’s attitude on and off the court: “Djokovic is a self-made man. No PR. In other words, he entered tennis when Federer and Nadal were at the highest level. They were already the fathers of tennis. And Djokovic was not a name, but over time, as time has shown, he proved that everything is possible. Those who condemn him will need time to reassess this.”
Tennis World USA