Novak Djokovic celebrates a win
Novak Djokovic has had a change of heart about his 2025 tennis calendar as he will now “play more tournaments” as he wants to challenge the “best players in the world”.
Just a few months after saying that he is “done” with certain events – including the ATP Finals – and also no longer cared about his position in the ATP Rankings, Djokovic has made some interesting comments that suggest he has made a U-turn.
Back in September, the tennis great – who played only 10 events in 2024 – stated: “As far as I am concerned, I am done with those tournaments for my career. Whether I will play other tournaments this year or in the future, I can’t say right now.”
The 24-time Grand Slam winner added that he wanted to spend more time with his family, saying: “For the first time in my career, I don’t have any long-term plans. I live in the moment and I’ll see what happens.”
He opted to skip his Paris Masters and ATP Finals title defences and, as a result, finished at No 7 in the ATP Rankings this year, which was his lowest position for several years.
But following an extended break, Djokovic appears to be reinvigorated as he has already made a big change to his backroom staff by appointing fellow world No 1 Andy Murray as his coach for the off-season and the Australian Open.
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Besides the Paris and Turin events, Djokovic also missed the Miami Open, Madrid Open, Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open in 2024, but some of those big events could be back on his calendar next year.
The 37-year-old feels he is now “physically and mentally” ready to challenge Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev.
“In 2024 I didn’t play much and, Olympic gold and Wimbledon final aside, it was perhaps the least profitable season in the last 10 years, with many ups and downs, issues to be resolved even on a private level,” he said.
“However, I feel that I can still play at a high level. Sinner and Alcaraz have established themselves as the two best players in the world, not forgetting [Alexander] Zverev. All of them will be the main candidates to win the Slams and other titles.
“However, physically and mentally I am ready to play my tennis again. I have the feeling that I can challenge these guys, and my experience can come in handy.
“So next year I will play more tournaments and the Slams in particular will be my priority: I will give my best to win, of course if my body allows me to. But I’m fine, I still have time to rest and analyse what I can improve to have a season better than the last one.”
Djokovic is yet to confirm if he will play any warm-up events ahead of the 2025 Australian Open, which gets underway on January 13. He won’t feature at the United Cup in the first week of January, but he could still sign up for the Brisbane International or the Hong Kong Open.
