Marat Safin Unimpressed with ‘New Generation’ of Players Due to Novak Djokovic’s Dominance at 38: “Something is Wrong with Them”
Novak Djokovic will be aiming to win his career's 11th Australian Open, where he last lifted the title in 2023.
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Novak Djokovic, Marat Safin (Image via X/Game, Set & Talk, Wanda)
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World No.4 Novak Djokovic will be kick-starting his Australian Open campaign on Monday (January 19) against Pedro Martinez. Djokovic, also the tournament’s most successful player with 10 titles, last tasted glory here back in 2023 by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas.
In 2024, eventual champion Jannik Sinner knocked him out in four sets in the semifinals. Last year, an injury forced him to give the walkover to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev after he lost the first set in the semifinals.
The 38-year-old went on to book a spot in the semifinals of the remaining three Grand Slam events, losing them to either Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets. The Italian ace knocked him out at the French Open and Wimbledon, while the six-time Grand Slam champion defeated him at the US Open before winning the tournament for the second time.
Djokovic was the oldest semifinalist in every Major last year. Two-time Grand Slam winner Marat Safin, who defeated Djokovic twice in as many head-to-head matches and is currently coaching Andrey Rublev, gave an assessment of the current generation of players by comparing them to the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Novak is still playing at a great level. It’s something wrong with the new generation. I don’t want to take credit away from Novak, of course, he’s a professional, he’s the best in the history of tennis, but still, come on, guys.
Marat Safin told 10 News
Safin’s protege Rublev will be starting his campaign on January 19 against Matteo Arnaldi. Rublev, who has yet to reach a Grand Slam semifinal, made the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park thrice, but last year, his run ended in the first round.
Danielle Collins warns Novak Djokovic that his neck issue can be debilitating
During a practice session ahead of the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic received treatment on his neck. This for sure raised concerns because fitness problems have been stopping his Grand Slam runs at this stage of his career. Danielle Collins, who, due to her back injury, withdrew from the Melbourne Slam, where she finished as the runner-up in 2022, and is covering the tournament for Tennis Channel, thinks Djokovic’s neck issue is not a good sign.
You know how I feel about this. Anytime you’re dealing with something in the spine, lower back, neck, it’s not a good sign. It’s not just a pain in the neck. It can be debilitating. So not excited about this for Novak. He’s going to have to probably get some muscle relaxer and some painkillers and hope that he can get that inflammation down before the tournament starts.
Danielle Collins said
The last time Djokovic won a Major was at the 2023 US Open, and since then, he has made just one Grand Slam final- at the 2024 Wimbledon, losing that match to Carlos Alcaraz. Last year, although he failed to book a spot in a Grand Slam final, he finished the season with two titles.
After failing to defeat Jakub Mensik at the Miami Open, Djokovic took home the Geneva Open (also his 100th singles title) by defeating Hubert Hurkacz. In his final event of the season, he went past Lorenzo Musetti in the first edition of the Hellenic Championship.
This year, Djokovic was scheduled to feature at the Adelaide International, but he withdrew from the ATP 250 event because he was not physically ready to play a tournament. In the ongoing Major, Djokovic could meet 2024 US Open finalist Taylor Fritz in the fourth round and two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner once again in the semifinals. In the final, he could meet Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, or Daniil Medvedev.
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