Novak Djokovic has touched down in Australia ahead of his 2025 campaign. The Serb’s arrival in Brisbane with a peculiar accessory by his side hasn’t gone unnoticed among tennis fans.
Djokovic, who represented Serbia at the United Cup in 2024, kicks off his journey at the Brisbane International (December 29-January 5) this time. Ranked World No. 7, he is seeded first at the tournament. Here, he is also expected to compete in men’s doubles with Nick Kyrgios, who is looking to stage a comeback after a prolonged hiatus.
On Saturday, December 28, Novak Djokovic was all smiles as he arrived in Brisbane. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was captured at the airport, where he also spoke to the media. What stood out was his quirky choice of a Pokemon-inspired Pikachu backpack, which he carried with his regular luggage.
Fans were quick to take note of the detail, and many pointed out that 25 is Pikachu’s National Pokedex Number. Putting two and two together, many fans concluded that the backpack choice was symbolic of the Serb’s pursuit of a historic 25th Grand Slam Down Under.
“Pikachu is #25 in the Pokedex… definitely intentional,” one fan said on Reddit.
This is not the first time that Novak Djokovic has conveyed his intentions symbolically. In 2022, after winning the Adelaide International, the 37-year-old seemingly pointed at his forehead 22 times as he chased his 22nd Major in Melbourne in the days that followed.
He has also often commemorated his Slam victories with jackets and shoes specially designed for the occasion.
Novak Djokovic set to start 2025 campaign against an Australian at Brisbane International
In 2024, Novak Djokovic gloriously clinched the one title that was missing in his resume—an Olympic gold. However, he scripted an otherwise forgettable campaign, failing to win a single ATP title.
The Serb’s final tour-level match came against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner at the Shanghai Masters. Although he played a couple of exhibition matches thereafter, he decided against defending his ATP Finals title and called time on his season.
After arriving in Australia, he addressed his absence and touched on his preparations.
“I haven’t played for a couple of months – the official tournaments. I finished my season quite early. Took some time to physically recover; get myself in the right shape,” he told Tennis Australia.
“I’m excited to start the new season with a tournament before the Australian Open,” he said ahead of his Brisbane International run. “I look forward to hopefully getting more than one match this week.”
Novak Djokovic, the top seed at the Brisbane International, has drawn Australian wildcard entrant Rinky Hijikata in the first round. The players lock horns on December 30 in what is set to be their first on-court meeting.
