Novak Djokovic started practicing again a few days ago after helping Serbia in the Davis Cup tie against Greece in Belgrade. The former world number 1 will return to action at the Masters 1000 in Shanghai in early October, a tournament where he has lifted the trophy four times but from which he has been missing since 2019.
Probably under pressure from sponsors, the 24-time Grand Slam champion decided to return to China to try to win the 41st Masters 1000 of his legendary career. Novak’s 2024 was not as brilliant as usual, in fact the Serbian champion struggled to find the right motivation during the year.
The 37-year-old from Belgrade has not won an ATP title so far and saved the season by winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, thanks to an incredible performance against Carlos Alcaraz in the final. For the rest, Nole seemed far from his best version and did not shine particularly even in the Grand Slam tournaments.
Nole is practicing
After winning against Greece in the Davis Cup, Djokovic has admitted that he will not be playing much from now until the end of the season. The Serbian ace will be at the Masters 1000 in Shanghai and the ‘Six Kings Slam‘ in Saudi Arabia, but his schedule for the following month is unclear.
The former world number 1 has admitted that the ATP Finals in Turin are not his goal at this point in his career. The 24-time Grand Slam champion lifted the trophy in Turin last year by beating Sinner in the final, but he will not add tournaments to his schedule to try and qualify. Nole currently occupies the ninth position in the ATP Race and is very close to Alex de Minaur, who is not playing due to a physical problem. Much will depend on the result that Novak will get in Shanghai.
During a long interview with Eurosport, ATP legend John McEnroe revealed Djokovic’s biggest achievement: “Oh boy, that’s a question. It’s hard to pick just one given everything he has achieved. You look back at the final where he beat Nadal in almost six hours to win the Australian Open (in 2012).
Then you look at how he became such a great grass court player and his record of winning seven Wimbledon titles. Saving the match points against Roger Federer in the 2019 Wimbledon final was pretty amazing and he has also saved match points at the US Open before going on to win the the title in New York.
There is a long list because this guy is the most successful tennis player of all-time. Yet it seems like because he hadn’t won the Olympics and that was the one missing off his record, his gold medal in Paris a few weeks ago might just mean the most to him. He stated how much he wanted to win it, so that might be right up there at the top.”
He continued: “In ten years, 20 years, I think people will love him even more. When he stops playing, people will realize what he brought. I think that Djokovic has really tried to step up for the sport on and off the court. His actions when he plays and also off the court, he has really been trying to push the sport in the right direction. Whenever I see him in the locker room, I know he has the respect of the other players, but it has been tough for him with the fans.”
Djokovic already thinks about 2025
The 37-year-old from Belgrade knows that next year will be crucial to his chances of winning another Grand Slam title. Novak is still considered by the bookmakers as the top favourite at the 2025 Australian Open, but Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are very close to him.
“For the first time in my career, I have no long-term plans. I’m living in the moment; we’ll see what happens in the future” – the Serbian legend explained a few weeks ago. “I played in Sofia against Grigor, then I will go to China, and afterward, I have an exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia. After that? I don’t know, honestly. We’ll see how I feel and then I’ll make a decision.
I want to be with my wife and kids, be part of their daily life, something I haven’t been able to do for many years” – he added. The 24-time Grand Slam champion will also be one of the protagonists of the ‘Six Kings Slam’ in Saudi Arabia next month along with Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune.