Novak Djokovic’s season may be very close to its conclusion. The Serbian champion has no idea which tournaments he will play in the next two months, except for the Masters 1000 in Shanghai and the ‘Six Kings Slam‘ in Saudi Arabia.
The former world number 1 has already arrived in China for the eighth Masters 1000 of the season, a tournament in which he triumphed four times during his legendary career. Nole has not participated in the Shanghai tournament since 2019, when he was defeated by a great Stefanos Tsitsipas.
After performing in Saudi Arabia in mid-October, the 24-time Grand Slam champion may decide to close his 2024 to focus on the upcoming season. Novak is currently out of the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, but his distance from eighth place held by Alex de Minaur is really very short.
Speaking to the Serbian media after the Davis Cup, the 37-year-old from Belgrade had confided that the ATP Finals are not a goal for him at this point in his career. Djokovic’s sights are already set on the 2025 Australian Open, where he will try to win his 25th Major. The Serbian ace has not won a single Grand Slam title this year, for the first time since 2017 and for the second time since 2011.
Djokovic to play in Saudi Arabia
As mentioned above, the former world number 1 will be one of the stars of the ‘Six Kings Slam’ in Saudi Arabia in the middle of next month. Along with Djokovic, there will also be top players like Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune. Players will receive $1.5 million for their presence alone, while the winner will earn the record prize money of $6 million. The video of the presentation of the event, which will take place in Saudi Arabia from 16 to 19 October, was recently released. A really spectacular and well made video, which shocked even Nole’s wife Jelena.
During his long and glorious career, the 37-year-old from Belgrade has had the ability to win matches even when he was not at the top of his game by exploiting his experience and his incredible mental strength. “Mental wellness is an area people are paying more attention to and deservedly so,” explained Djokovic in a recent interview.
“In an individual sport like this, you are on the court yourself and there is no one to help you when things go south. Of course, you have a team supporting you in the stands, but you have to work it out for yourself. I believe half of the mental work you need to put in is done before you even set foot on the court. If you fail to prepare, it is going to be a much more difficult mountain to climb and succeed on the court. You need to have a long-term and short-term strategy to find a way to win in the end and you understand that process more when you play for a long time.
You need to be physically, mentally and emotionally stable to have a chance and I have to understand my body is responding differently than it was 10 years ago. This holistic approach is vital for all parts of your life. You need the right people around you, to eat well and if you try to suppress emotions, it will almost certainly surface on the court for me” – he added.
Nole can be happy
Despite not shining in 2024, the Serbian ace managed to win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics completing the puzzle of a legendary career. 2025 could really be his last chance to win a Major, thanks to the rise of young talents who have more freshness than him.
Speaking with Sport Klub, ATP legend Mats Wilander discussed Novak’s struggles: “I think the way he explained his feelings in the press conference was fantastic. It’s tough to compete on clay in the middle of the season and arrive at the US Open without having played a hard-court match. It’s impressive how Djokovic has managed to win 24 Grand Slam titles and doesn’t have that identifying trait in his tennis that Roger and Rafa had, but he can seem invincible when he’s at his best. Defeats like this are a reminder that he is a human being. Of course, he would like to win everything, but he needs time to rest and prepare properly. He will return to his best form in Australia.” The former world number 1 has earned the right to choose how to end his career, having written very important pages in the history of sport.