Novak Djokovic was the most anticipated tennis player on Rod Laver Arena, on Day 2 of the Australian Open 2025, especially in this one that was the first match with Andy Murray as the new coach, in his box.
The Serbian champion beat Nishesh Basavareddy 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
The 37-year-old was drawn in the same part of the draw as Carlos Alcaraz and many fans are hoping to witness a spectacular quarterfinal between the two of them. Djokovic, however, does not want to project his mind to a match that in reality does not yet exist. He knows how difficult it is to advance in a Grand Slam tournament and prefers to think match by match, as he reiterated in the press conference after qualifying for the 2nd round of the Happy Slam.
“We are still too far away to talk about that possible match. He has plenty of energy and intensity. He reminds me a lot of Rafael Nadal, in this respect. He is a truly complete player. He can hurt you from any position and plays well on any surface. His versatility is incredible. It is impressive to see the level of tennis and the mentality he has reached at his age. He has won at least one Slam for three seasons now and I am convinced that it is not over yet. We will see a lot of him in the coming years,” he analyzed.
Alcaraz© X Atp Tour/fair use
Nole, who as he has reiterated on more than one occasion loves to play in the evening, did not hide the fact that he communicates with the organizers of the tournament to express a preference.
Obviously he is not the only one to do so, because the director of such an important event often talks with the best players on the Tour to try to accommodate their needs.
“I have to accept any choice. I think I have earned the right to communicate with the tournament organizers to express, based on the specific day, a preference. I am not the only tennis player who communicates with the tournament director through the team. This is what I can say on the subject,” explained the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Tennis World USA