Novak Djokovic arrived in Doha ahead of the ATP 500 event. The Serb will seek his third title at the prestigious event following his triumphs in 2016 and 2017. The 24-time Major winner will compete in Doha for the first time since 2019.
Novak trained with his old rival, Fernando Verdasco. The Spaniard lives in Doha, and we will see him in action next week as well. Verdasco will enter the doubles draw alongside Djokovic and end his career after two decades on the Tour.
However, Novak will focus on his singles campaign after recovering from a hamstring injury. The legend will seek his 100th ATP title against Carlos Alcaraz, Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev.
👀 Fernando Verdasco ayudante sorpresa de Djokovic en Doha 🎾
📹 @albertbriva9 pic.twitter.com/8O2JkRmuog
— Diario SPORT (@sport) February 14, 2025
Doha will be Djokovic’s third tournament of the season. The veteran conquered the Olympic Games gold medal last August and slowed down. He played only a couple of tournaments by the end of the season and skipped the ATP Finals.
Novak returned to action in the first week of 2025 in Brisbane. He fell to Reilly Opelka and focused on the Australian Open. The ten-time winner struggled a bit in the opening two rounds but defeated the young guns in four sets.
Novak Djokovic, Australian Open 2025© Stream screenshot
Djokovic raised his level and toppled Tomas Machac and Jiri Lehecka for a place in the quarter-final. The Serb faced his great rival, Carlos Alcaraz, and prevailed in four sets after nearly three hours and 40 minutes.
Instead of celebrating a notable win, Novak gathered dark clouds over his campaign following a hamstring injury. The 37-year-old injured his left leg in the first set against the Spaniard and required a medical timeout.
Novak Djokovic, Australian Open 2025© Stream screenshot
The more experienced player recovered his game in the second set and felt better when medication started to work. Djokovic did not train ahead of the semi-final duel with Alexander Zverev. He gave everything to recover his leg, which proved impossible!
Novak challenged Alexander in the opening set before falling in the tie break after 80 minutes. The ten-time winner felt increased pain in his troubled leg and retired at Majors for the first time since 2019. The Serb skipped the Davis Cup tie against Denmark.
He stayed away from the court for a couple of weeks, undergoing treatments and healing his leg. The 24-time Major winner returned to the court this week and traveled to Doha motivated to chase the milestone title.
Tennis World USA