Ex-ATP Pro Explains ‘Pretty Remarkable’ Thing Novak Djokovic Has Been Doing Despite His Age

Novak Djokovic, who was last seen in action at the Indian Wells Masters, withdrew from the Madrid Open due to an injury.

Ex-ATP Pro Explains ‘Pretty Remarkable’ Thing Novak Djokovic Has Been Doing Despite His Age

Novak Djokovic (via X/Djokovic fan)

In Short
  • Novak Djokovic continues to compete at a high level despite nearing 39 years of age, recently defeating Jannik Sinner in a five-set semifinal at the Australian Open.
  • He lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the final after winning the first set, marking a significant match in his ongoing career.
  • Djokovic has withdrawn from the Madrid Open due to a physical issue, focusing on recovery for future competitions.

Even though Novak Djokovic has reached the twilight of his career, he still wants to prolong his career and continue to chase history due to his love and passion for the game. In this year’s Australian Open, he did something that shocked the tennis world.

Against him in the semifinal was two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner, but Nole, after over four hours, registered a five-set win to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time since the 2024 Wimbledon.

Former ATP player Patrick McEnroe, on the Spout Podcast, talked about the remarkable things Djokovic has been doing despite his age.

So, he’s got the best scope of wins, and the fact of the matter is, he’s about to turn 39, and he’s still playing at the top of the game. Just beat Sinner in Australia, which to me is one of his greatest wins ever, even though he ended up losing the next match to [Carlos] Alcaraz in the final.

But Djokovic couldn’t repeat the same result in the final. After taking the first set off Alcaraz, Djokovic went on to lose the next three sets and eventually the match. The next Major, Roland Garros, is set to start on May 24. Djokovic lost to Sinner in straight sets in the semifinals last year.

You talk about passion and doing it, because these two guys have dominated him the last couple of years. These two young bucks coming along, and he still has the passion to go back to work and try to say, ‘I’m going to find a way to keep competing with Sinner and Alcaraz’. Pretty remarkable!

Patrick McEnroe added

Djokovic was last seen in action at the Indian Wells Masters. Defending champion Jack Draper knocked him out in three sets in the fourth round. Djokovic skipped the Miami Open as well as the Monte-Carlo next.

Novak Djokovic withdraws from the Madrid Open

Novak Djokovic attended a basketball game in Madrid and gave an interview to Moviestar+. He expressed his uncertainty about playing the Madrid Open because of a physical problem. Later, he took to X and announced that he would be skipping the tournament.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Image via X/#AusOpen)

Madrid, unfortunately I won’t be able to compete @MutuaMadridOpen this year. I’m continuing my recovery in order to be back soon. Hasta pronto!

Check out his post here:

Djokovic is a three-time champion in Madrid, winning in 2011, 2016, and 2019 by defeating Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, respectively. Since his last win, Djokovic has played in Madrid just twice, including last year. He lost to Matteo Arnaldi in the opening round last year.

Last year, after his Madrid exit, Djokovic participated in the ATP 250 Geneva Open and ended his title drought by defeating Hubert Hurkacz. He won another title last year. In the first edition of the Hellenic Championships, Djokovic defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the final.

Jannik Sinner is trying to improve a shot that Novak Djokovic is a master at

Simone Vagnozzi, following Sinner’s win at the Monte-Carlo Masters, talked about the shot that the World No.1 has improved a lot. It’s the drop shot, and Vagnozzi said Djokovic knows perfectly well when to use it.

Jannik Sinner (2)
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/4K JANNIK SINNER)

Now he’s also starting to play it off the backhand, and it’s a shot he can still improve because when he hits hard from the backhand, the opponents step back, so a drop shot would be a step forward in his game and technical arsenal. Djokovic is a master at this.

Simone Vagnozzi said during his interview with Sky Sports

Sinner beat Alcaraz in the final in Monte Carlo and chose not to play the Barcelona Open. It was his third title of the season.

Also read: Boris Becker Sends ‘Unique’ Novak Djokovic Grand Slam Warning to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz