Did that open for Novak Djokovic last time? The Grand Slam king is not ready to say

By Chris Odde | @TheFanchild | Friday January 24, 2025

And Novak DjokovicA bid for a record 25 major titles ended in painful fashion as the Grand Slam King was forced to pull the plug after his fight with Alexander Zenveree due to a torn muscle in his left leg.

But the 37-year-old Djokovic still takes some tips from his run to the wells.

“I actually thought I played really well, and as I’ve been playing for the last 12 months, to be honest,” he said. “I liked my chances if I was kind, yes, fit and ready to fight. I liked my chances today. Who knows? Of course, there would be no easy fight, no easy game for me…

“But like I said, I think I’m hitting the ball well. STRONG RESULTS in terms of the way I played in the semifinals. It’s a very good result considering the conditions. But it’s not satisfactory, you know, by my standards. I always want the highest goal, to reach the finals and fight for a medal. “

https:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=deccczzμggggGE

It’s a tough way to start the season, but Djokovic believes he can win more majors if he can stay healthy, and stay healthy.

“I will continue,” he said. “You know, I will continue to fight to win more slams. And as long as I feel that I want to endure all this, I will be there.”

Djokovic confirmed the nature of his injury and said he could not recover in time. Known for his power of recovery, Djolovic has already lifted two Australian open trophies after enduring serious injuries. This year, he couldn’t summon magic, though.

“It builds muscle,” Djokovic said. “Two years ago, you know, I was better at it. On the court it didn’t bother me too much. This time it wasn’t. So in these types of situations I think you try to do as much as you can in a very short period of time, and it was.

“I had an extra day, so two days no game. So I thought it would be good enough maybe. But yeah, it wasn’t like that, unfortunately.”

Despite their disappointment, this Serbian legend admits the soldiers in 2025 in the hunt for grand slam glory. But he was not ready to say he would return to Australia in 2026. Asked if he might have played his last game in Melbourne, he said:

“There’s a chance. Who knows? I’ll just see how time goes. I want to continue. But whether I’ll have a revised schedule or not next year, I’m not sure.

“I always like to come to Australia to play. I’ve had a lot of success in my career here. So if I’m ready, healthy, motivated, I don’t see any reason why I won’t come.”

As for the future, Djokovic plans to play Doha next month, but he is not sure if he will be fit enough to do so.

“I still have the Doha tournament in a few weeks planned,” he said. “Whether I’ll play or not, depends on how well I recover. But I’ve been successful with quick recovery in the past. Let’s see. It just depends on the muscles and how they respond to treatment.”