MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic can nonetheless crack a joke when speaking in regards to the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. This rivalry is what prevented him from changing into probably the most adorned tennis participant of all time for 2 years.
“I misplaced three of the 4 main tournaments to both Sinner or Alcaraz,” he mentioned on Saturday, the eve of the 2025 Australian Open.
“There is no must reward me an excessive amount of,” he added with a smile. “They’re nicely praised! We all know how good they’re they usually completely need to be the place they’re. They’re the dominant drive in males’s tennis in the intervening time.”
Djokovic begins his third season aiming for his twenty fifth Grand Slam singles title and is honing his strategy forward of the Australian Open.
He withdrew from his solely scheduled tune-up event, understanding he lacked “just a little little bit of vigor in his legs” to compete with two younger stars on the finish of a significant and wanted to stay as pain-free as doable.
Djokovic devised a strategy to beat after which surpass Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, a longtime rivalry earlier than they grew to become the Large Three.
Djokovic, 38, who has gained 24 majors – an Open-era file and ties Margaret Court docket for probably the most in tennis historical past – is doing every part he can to maintain himself within the highlight.
Djokovic final gained a significant title on the 2023 US Open. Since then, Sinner and Alcaraz have cut up eight folks. Sinner has gained the Australian title twice. Alcaraz stays in Australia and is decided so as to add a title at Melbourne Park to finish a profession Grand Slam.
Djokovic reached the semi-finals of all 4 main tournaments final yr regardless of being suffering from accidents. Attributable to a torn hamstring, he was pressured to withdraw from the Australian Open semifinals, the place he defeated Alcaraz within the quarterfinals.
Djokovic mentioned that by telling himself that “24 is not a nasty quantity,” he removes the “now or by no means mentality” from each main look as a result of it prevents him from acting at his finest.
“Sinner and Alcaraz are enjoying at a unique stage than different gamers proper now, that is true,” Djokovic mentioned. “However that does not imply different gamers do not have an opportunity.
“So I like my probabilities in any event, particularly right here.”
The ten-time Australian Open champion will face world quantity 71 Pedro Martinez on Monday in an evening match at Rod Laver Enviornment. The fourth seed is in the identical half as top-ranked Alcaraz. This implies they’ll solely compete within the semi-finals.
Djokovic has not performed in an official event since November.
“Clearly it took me extra time to rebuild my physique as a result of I perceive that is the factor that has modified probably the most for me over the previous few years. It takes extra time to rebuild and it takes extra time to reset or get better,” he mentioned. “I had a little bit of a setback and missed the Adelaide event… however I’m doing very well right here to this point.”
As for the ache, he mentioned there may be “one thing right here and there” day-after-day, however “general I really feel good and I am wanting ahead to the sport.”
Earlier this month, Djokovic ended his relationship with the Skilled Tennis Gamers Affiliation, the group he co-founded, saying “my values and strategy are now not aligned with the group’s present path.”
Djokovic and Canadian participant Vasek Pospisil launched the PTPA in 2020, with the intention of offering illustration to gamers with unbiased contracts, primarily in particular person sports activities.
“It was a tough choice for me to depart the PTPA, however I needed to do it as a result of I felt like my identify was…worn out,” he mentioned. “I felt like each time folks thought of PTPA, they thought it was my group, and that was a false thought from the start.”
He mentioned he nonetheless helps the idea.
“I nonetheless want them the perfect of luck as a result of I feel there may be room and want in our ecosystem for a 100% athlete-only consultant group,” he mentioned.
