Novak Djokovic is 37 years old, and he will be 38 when the 2025 Roland Garros begins at the end of May. The Serbian is going through a strange moment in his monumental career, as it seems that after the Olympic medal, he is not entirely clear on how to move forward. He still loves tennis, but his performances in 2025 are not up to the level that the player with the most Grand Slams in history deserves. His surprising withdrawal in the semifinal of the 2025 Australian Open against Alexander Zverev left us all with a bad taste because it seemed that Nole was rediscovering himself at one of his favorite venues and, at times, he seemed to be dominating the first set against Sascha. However, at the ATP Doha and already recovered from his muscle injury, he was no match for Matteo Berrettini.
“I played without any pain, so I have no excuses. Matteo has been better than me,” declared Novak Djokovic after the match at the ATP Doha. 7-6 6-2 for the Italian, who raised doubts for a Nole that we haven’t seen at 100% outside of the Grand Slams. With 99 titles in his superstar career, the intense competition he faces nowadays with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner seems to be getting tough for him, primarily due to his experience, lack of unfulfilled dreams, and the voracious hunger of the new generation.
- No Major Goals to Achieve
As we mentioned, Nole has 99 titles. He is just four shy of Roger Federer’s 103, something that could be a motivation for the Serb. However, it seems that Jimmy Connors’ record of 109 titles is a bit out of reach for him…
You can enjoy the game of tennis in many different ways, and Novak chose to go all in. He completed the circle by winning the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. And what lies beyond? Title number 100 is there, and the 25th Grand Slam as well, but he already stated that the medal meant a radical change in his career: “Playing with Serbia is always a priority for me. The ATP Finals and the ranking are no longer my objectives”, he said last September. The lack of consistency in lower category tournaments seems to start affecting his performance at major events, and the goal of a new Davis Cup vanished for Serbia after failing to qualify for the 2025 Finals.
- Will He Play in Indian Wells and Miami?
Nole seemed to have no physical issues against Matteo, but all alarms went off when a video surfaced showing the Serbian limping at the Doha airport, as he was about to leave the Arab country. One of the big questions right now is whether he will be available to chase the 100th title in the classic events of Indian Wells and Miami, where he could have a good chance without facing a competitor like Sinner (suspended). Likewise, the precedent of 2024 doesn’t bode well, as Djokovic fell dramatically in the second round of Indian Wells against an inexperienced player like Luca Nardi (6-4 3-6 6-3), and even dropped a set in the first round against Aleksandar Vukic, another player far from Novak’s level. Furthermore, he decided not to participate in Miami, as he stated that “at this stage of my career, I’m looking for a balance between my private life and my professional calendar”. So, although he is registered for both Masters 1000, his presence is by no means confirmed.
His Love for Tennis Remains Intact
What we can’t question is the passion Novak Djokovic still has for tennis. He confirmed that he keeps playing because he wants to, and also in this 2025, we have seen him help bid farewell in a dignified manner to legends of the racket like Juan Martín Del Potro and Fernando Verdasco. The former, officially retired from the circuit since 2022, organized an exhibition match in Argentina which Djokovic didn’t hesitate to attend. The latter, despite being inactive since 2023, decided to finish by playing doubles in Doha 2025, where they shared great moments on the court and even won a match against Karen Khachanov and Alexander Bublik (6-1 6-1). In the second round, they lost to the experienced Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, current champions of the Australian Open and Wimbledon (7-5 6-4).
Only time will tell how long that inner fire will last in the Serb, and how and where he will decide to say goodbye. All we wish for is that his farewell truly matches what he has meant to this sport. We always dream of fairy-tale endings, but in tennis and as in life, things don’t always go as one wants…