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Is Novak Djokovic playing Laver Cup?
Tennis

“I think he might have a chance to beat Djokovic” : Taylor Fritz believes Jakub Mensik can claim maiden ATP Masters title in Miami

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“I think he might have a chance to beat Djokovic” : Taylor Fritz believes Jakub Mensik can claim maiden ATP Masters title in Miami Jakub Mensik has had an incredible run at the 2025 Miami Masters. The Czech tennis plater is only one win away from creating history, and claiming his maiden Masters title. However, he has had a huge hurdle to clear, as he faces Novak Djokovic in the finals on Sunday. Jakub Mensik toppled the home favorite Taylor Fritz in the semifinals in a three set thriller. The youngster held his nerve in the final set tiebreaker to book a place in the finals. Taylor Fritz was impressed with the Czech’s impressive serve during the semifinals. He believes that Mensik’s biggest weapon during the finals would be his serve. Although, Novak Djokovic enters the final as the favorite, however, Fritz backs the youngster tp spring up a surprise or two. He believes that Jakub Mensik’s serves are not only powerful, but are very precise. He served 25 aces in the semifinals against Fritz, and gave his opponent only two break point opportunities. “That doesn’t console me, I was unable to play at the necessary level in either of the two tiebreaks, so I feel horrible. His serve is great, it has always been powerful, but now he also places it with incredible precision. It’s also amazing how he has improved in all aspects of his game in a short time, I think he might have a chance to beat Djokovic, it all depends on whether the Serbian can read his serve better than I can,” said Fritz. “Every match I’m getting better and better” : Jakub Mensik Jakub Mensik made his debut on the ATP tour only last year, and has made quite an impression since the start of the year. The Czech tennis prodigy believes that he is getting better with every match. He has already had some big wins this season, which includes the likes of Jack Draper in Miami, and Casper Ruud in Australia. “Of course, I finished (a) few weeks ago my first year on the tour, so actually (I’m) still pretty young. Yeah, that’s just the journey, the thing that I’m feeling. It’s not just one particular match or situation, but it’s all the tournaments, all the matches. Every match I’m getting better and better,” the Czech said. Novak Djokovic has recovered from a sluggish start to the season, and has reached the finals in Miami without dropping a single set. Defeating the Serbian will not be an easy task given that he looks to be back in top form. However, Jakub Mensik can serve well, and play his natural aggressive game, he might be able to give the Serbian a run for his money. Also Read: “We’re in the same part of the draw, so I hope we both reach the semifinals” : Carlos Alcaraz on crossing paths with Novak Djokovic

Tennis

“People awfully quiet that Radacanu is winning now” : Nick Kyrgios calls out critics after Brit’s remarkable run in Miami

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“People awfully quiet that Radacanu is winning now” : Nick Kyrgios calls out critics after Brit’s remarkable run in Miami Nick Kyrgios has called out critics after Emma Raducanu’s terrific run in Miami. After her incredible run at the 2021 US Open, Emma Raducanu has consistently struggled with injuries, and form. This has even led to fans and pundits calling her 2021 US Open triumph a fluke. However, there are some promising signs of the Briton getting back to her best. She defeated Emma Navarro in a tight three set battle in the second round, before taking out McCartney Kessler in the third round. Nick Kyrgios has been a huge admirer of Raducanu’s tennis, and has called out the so called critics of the Briton. Her uptick in performance comes after yet another change in her coaching staff. The Briton parted ways with Vladimir Platenik, who was also the seventh coach of her career. The Slovakian only lasted for 14 days in Raducanu’s camp before he was sacked. “People awfully quiet that Radacanu is winning now,’ the Australian wrote. ‘Where all the experts at now? Lol coach’s overrated [sic],” Kyrgios wrote on Twitter. Emma Raducanu storms into Miami quarterfinals Emma Raducanu’s spectacular run continues in Miami, as she took out yet another American in the last 16 on Monday. She defeated Amanda Anisimova in straight sets to progress into the quarterfinals. The Briton has now defeated 8th seed Emma Navarro, and 17th seed Amanda Anisimova in Miami. Prior to the Miami Open, Emma Raducanu could only manage to win one match after the 2025 Australian Open. As far as injuries are concerned, the Briton has remained relatively fit since the start of the year. She was defeated by Moyuka Uchijima in the first round at the Indian Wells Open. She will look to carry on her form, and go all the way in Miami. This will help her accumulate some crucial WTA points, which would be pivotal before the clay court season. Also Read: “We’re in the same part of the draw, so I hope we both reach the semifinals” : Carlos Alcaraz on crossing paths with Novak Djokovic

Tennis

“We’re in the same part of the draw, so I hope we both reach the semifinals” : Carlos Alcaraz on crossing paths with Novak Djokovic

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“We’re in the same part of the draw, so I hope we both reach the semifinals” : Carlos Alcaraz on crossing paths with Novak Djokovic Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have been placed in the same half of the draw at the 2025 Miami Masters. The Spaniard opens his campaign against David Goffin in the second round in Miami. He could face the 24-time Grand Slam champion in the semifinals, if both of them win their respective matches. Carlos Alcaraz hopes to face Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in Miami. However, he believes there are many matches to win before he can enter the semifinals. The duo last faced off against each other at the Australian Open this year, where the Serbian came through in four sets. Carlos Alcaraz has not been in his best form this season. He was defeated in the semifinals of the Indian Wells by Jack Draper, who went on to claim the title “We’re in the same part of the draw, so I hope we both reach the semifinals. As I said before, these are the matches that attract tennis fans, because I find every match between us a pleasure to watch. But at the end of the day, it’s a Masters 1000. There are still many rounds to think about in the semifinals,” said Alcaraz. Carlos Alcaraz heaps praise on Jack Draper Carlos Alcaraz has heaped praise on Jack Draper, who defeated him in three sets in the semifinals of Indian Wells. The Briton then went on to claim the title, defeating Holger Rune in straight sets in the final. Carlos Alcaraz stated that Jack Draper has evolved as a tennis player, and applauded the level of tennis he displayed at Indian Wells. “He’s playing great tennis at the moment. He played every point with a lot of quality. To me, the most important thing is that he’s grown physically. That’s key for his mind because now his confidence is even higher. In Indian Wells, he played great tennis. His mental level is good enough to play at the highest level throughout an entire match. I think that makes him a tough opponent,” said the Spaniard. Carlos Alcaraz will look to claim his second title of the season at Miami Masters. He was defeated in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open last year, and in the semifinals in 2023. This tournament will mark the Spaniard’s last event before the clay court season.

Tennis

“I would say Nadal would be the one that probably stands out [as] my biggest opponent and biggest rival” : Novak Djokovic

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“I would say Nadal would be the one that probably stands out [as] my biggest opponent and biggest rival” : Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic has named Rafael Nadal as his biggest and toughest rival over his playing career. The two players have shared the court on multiple occasions, and have given their fans some memorable matches in the past 15 years. Rafael Nadal announced his retirement from tennis last season, as Novak Djokovic remains the only member of the Big Three to be competing on the tour. Novak Djokovic returns to action at the Doha Open this week after he was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open semifinals owing to a hamstring injury. The Serbian will face the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini in an entertaining first round clash. Ahead of the Qatar Open, Novak Djokovic was asked about his toughest rival till date. The Serbian mentioned that they had to be the likes of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, however if given a choice, he would pick the former. “You probably know the names Federer and Nadal,” he said. “I would say Nadal would be the one that probably stands out [as] my biggest opponent and biggest rival.” Novak Djokovic describes how he started playing tennis Novak Djokovic revealed how he started playing tennis from a very early age. The Serbian stated that he grew up in the mountains, and started playing the sport accidentally at the age of four. “I grew up on the mountains in my country, and that’s where I actually started to play tennis when I was four or five years old,” he said. “It happened by accident, even though in life there are no accidents. Everything happens for a reason. I saw a couple of tennis courts that were being made, and I was helping the workers to make the tennis court. I was, of course, very young and very curious.” “In return for me bringing them drinks and helping them construct the tennis court, I got free hours, when the courts were being made. That’s that’s how I fell in love with this beautiful sport.” Novak Djokovic has achieved almost everything the sport has to offer. He completed his trophy cabinet last season, when he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the finals of the Paris Olympics to win the Olympic gold medal. The Serbian has been struggling with injuries since the past couple of months, which also hampered his chances of winning his 11th Australian Open title. Novak Djokovic returns to the court once again this week in Doha, as he will look to climb up the rankings in the next couple of months. With as many as five Masters tournaments scheduled for the next three months, the veteran will hope to remain in good shape, as he continues his bid to win a record 25th Grand Slam title. Also Read: “I like the comparison between Novak being injured and beating Carlos” : Patrick Mouratoglou draws interesting parallel between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner

Tennis

“He has a little mental scar tissue” : Steve Johnson on why Carlos Alcaraz skipped the South American clay court swing

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“He has a little mental scar tissue” : Steve Johnson on why Carlos Alcaraz skipped the South American clay court swing Carlos Alcaraz has reached the finals of the 2025 Rotterdam Open, where he will face Alex de Minaur. After achieving the monumental success in 2024, the Spaniard will look to claim his first title of the season on Sunday. Former American tennis pro Steve Johnson believes that the youngster skipped the South American clay court swing this time, owing to an injury he picked up last season. Last year, the four-time Grand Slam champion had to withdraw from the Rio Open owing to the ankle injury he had picked up during one of the matches. The Spaniard has had some troubles with injuries over the past year, hence this could have played on his mind while deciding his schedule for the 2025 season. Carlos Alcaraz is also set to play the Qatar Open next week, as he is likely to take a couple of weeks off before the Sunshine Double in March. “He can be better on one surface like most of us would pick in that scenario! He can win any tournament, any surface, any country, name it but maybe he has a little mental scar tissue, he did roll his ankle down in the south of the golden swing last year. Maybe that’s on his mind. He doesn’t wanna get hurt again which is I would say a silly reason not to go but for him, just doesn’t matter! He has picked his schedule a year ago,” the ex-pro said. “He can play on all surfaces” : John Isner on Carlos Alcaraz John Isner believes that Carlos Alcaraz is equally efficient on all surfaces. Recently, Sam Querrey stated that the Spaniard was unable to adapt on surfaces other than clay, which his former American counterpart disagrees with. “He can play on all surfaces. But I don’t think he’s better on clay than he is indoor hard. I think you’re splitting hairs if you would say one surface is better than the others,” Isner said. Carlos Alcaraz also voiced concerns around players’ well-being earlier this week. He expressed his displeasure over different balls being used at different tournaments, which becomes a big concern for the players. The Spaniard also mentioned that a lot of players had elbow issues last season, which could be narrowed down to the different balls being used. “I think there were a lot of injuries last year, a lot of players with elbow or shoulder injuries. They need to change something. I know they’re going to change it. Every week, practically every week we have different balls, different conditions, so it’s difficult to adapt to it,” he said. Also Read: “I like the comparison between Novak being injured and beating Carlos” : Patrick Mouratoglou draws interesting parallel between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner

Is Novak Djokovic playing Laver Cup?
Tennis

“Novak has always craved the affection that’s been shown to Federer and Nadal” : Tim Henman

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“Novak has always craved the affection that’s been shown to Federer and Nadal” : Tim Henman Novak Djokovic is undoubtedly among the greatest ever tennis players of all time. The Serbian has claimed 24 Grand Slam titles in his career, and is just one major away from creating history again. The veteran had to withdraw from the semifinals of the 2025 Australian Open after losing the first set against Alexander Zverev. The Serbian was struggling with a hamstring injury. The crowd at the Rod Laver Arena were pretty baffled with this decision, and booed the 10 time Australian Open champion. This has received widespread criticism over the past couple of weeks. However, former British tennis player Tim Henman believes that the reaction of the Australian crowd was unjust for the Serbian. “I think the fans got it totally wrong,” he told the Express. “For someone who is going for their 11th Australian Open title, their 25th slam, to pull out after a set, he’s obviously in a bad way. For him to be booed in that moment is pretty indefensible.” Novak Djokovic had also defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, batting through an injury. He would have backed his chances to go on and win his 11th title in Melbourne if not for his untimely injury. “He’s probably attracted that” : Tim Henman on the criticism received from the Serbian Tim Henman believes that Novak Djokovic does not deserve the criticism he often gets from the fans. However, he believes that the Serbian does tend to attract some of the critics due to his off court antics. More, the Briton feels that Novak Djokovic has always craved to be admired as much as the likes of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. However, Tim Henman believes that most of the fans do not like Novak Djokovic pushing the boundary a little too much at times. “I’m not on social media, but what I hear goes on with him and his fans, it’s chaos, isn’t it?” he said. “And there have been times when he’s probably attracted that. But he absolutely doesn’t deserve to be booed off court after he’s had to retire.” “I think if you dig a bit deeper, in my opinion, he’s always craved the affection that’s been shown to Federer and Nadal. And some people, I guess, don’t like that, that he behaves in that way,” Henman added. Going strictly by the stats, Tim Henman stated that there was no denying that Novak Djokovic was the best in the class. “But that whole thing isn’t really my scene. You look at what he’s achieved, you look at almost every stat and he’s the best in all of them. He’s phenomenal.” Novak Djokovic’s return date to the court is still uncertain. The extent of his injury is yet to be determined, and we will only have an update in the next couple of weeks. However, we can expect the Serbian to be back in action by the Sunshine Double Tournaments in March 2025. Also Read: “I like the comparison between Novak being injured and beating Carlos” : Patrick Mouratoglou draws interesting parallel between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner

Novak Djokovic
Tennis

“I like the comparison between Novak being injured and beating Carlos” : Patrick Mouratoglou draws interesting parallel between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner

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“I like the comparison between Novak being injured and beating Carlos” : Patrick Mouratoglou draws interesting parallel between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner Patrick Mouratoglou has drawn an interesting parallel between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner, stating that their traits are hallmarks of true champions. Novak Djokovic had to withdraw from the semifinals against Alexander Zverev at the 2025 Australian Open owing to an hamstring injury. Novak Djokovic had contested through the Australian Open through an injury. Despite this, he managed to defeat Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals in four sets. The eventual champion Jannik Sinner also defeated Holger Rune in the last 16 after overcoming an illness on the day of the match. Patrick Mouratoglou stated that both players had to overcome their respective injuries/illnesses to progress into the further rounds. He described this stating that this was the hallmark of true champions, as they defeat some world class opponents despite being at their 30 or 40 percent. Patrick Mouratoglou heaps praise on Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner Patrick Mouratoglou heaped praise on Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner for their fighting spirit. “I like the comparison between Novak being injured and beating Carlos, and Jannik being sick and beating Holger. There are two comparisons, actually, the first one is that those guys are able to still compete and win, at 30, 40, 50% of what they can do, which is amazing, and it’s the quality of the champions,” he stated. Novak Djokovic missed out on winning a historic 25th Grand Slam title in Melbourne, as he struggled with a hamstring injury throughout the Australian Open. The Serbian had to withdraw after losing the first set to Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. On the other hand, Jannik Sinner was utterly dominant at the Australian Open, dropping only two sets throughout the tournament. The Italian defeated Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the final to secure his second successive Australian Open title. Also Read: “The only thing that matters is a slam title” : Steve Johnson says nothing for more for Alexander Zverev than winning a Grand Slam in 2025

Novak Djokovic
Tennis

“Don’t tell him when to quit” : Jimmy Connors backs Novak Djokovic despite Australian Open injury

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“Don’t tell him when to quit” : Jimmy Connors backs Novak Djokovic despite Australian Open injury Jimmy Connors has backed former world number one Novak Djokovic to continue fighting amidst question marks over his future. The 24-time Grand Slam champion had to retire after losing the first set to Alexander Zverev in the semifinals of the 2025 Australian Open. Novak Djokovic has injured his left hamstring which could keep him out of action for several weeks. However, Jimmy Connors believes that the Serbian should not be asked to retire, given the hunger he has shown throughout his career. The former American tennis player applauds the Serb’s fighting spirit, and will continue to root for him. Given that the likes of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray have all retired, Novak Djokovic remains the only active member of the Big Four on the ATP Tour. “And I look at him and I root for him, you know, I rooted for him because I liked his game. I like the way he played…And I rooted for him then and I’m rooting for him now,” Connors said. Despite being in the final stage of his career, Jimmy Connors believes that the Serb gives it his all on the court. “I’m all for a guy who’s willing to go out there and do whatever it takes still, to still put it on the line and go for it.“ Jimmy Connors roots for Novak Djokovic amidst calls for retirement Jimmy Connors believes that Novak Djokovic would know the right time to call it a day, and does not need others asking him to retire. “You know, don’t tell him when to quit. He’ll know when to quit, you know, and when to move on. The others have, Federer did, Nadell has now, and Murray.” Jimmy Connors acknowledged that retirement would be a big decision for Novak Djokovic, given that he has served the sport so well for the past two decades. “But I will say one thing before we move on, Brett, that’s a tough decision, boy. You know, because, you know, for 20 years or whatever amount of years he’s done it, you know, all of a sudden to wake up one morning and say, what, it’s over? I don’t have to do, I’m not going to do that anymore. That’s a tough, tough day to wake up,” said Jimmy Connors. Novak Djokovic is expected to remain on the sidelines for several weeks, as there is no timeline set for his return to the tour. The Serbian had quite a run in Melbourne, before his injury worsened in the semifinals. He defeated the four-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz in four sets in the quarterfinals. The Serbian outplayed his rival on all fronts despite carrying an injury. Also Read: “The only thing that matters is a slam title” : Steve Johnson says nothing for more for Alexander Zverev than winning a Grand Slam in 2025

Longest match in US Open history
Tennis

“It’s a little bit disrespectful for Andy Murray” : Stan Wawrinka on being included in the same bracket as the Big Three

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“It’s a little bit disrespectful for Andy Murray” : Stan Wawrinka on being included in the same bracket as the Big Three Stan Wawrinka is among the most respected players on the circuit. The Swiss tennis player has won three Grand Slam titles in an era dominated by the likes of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The veteran recently commented on whether he should be considered on an equal footing as the Big Four Members. The likes of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray are part of the Big Four Club. The quartet have dominated the circuit for several years, sharing several titles among them. Stan Wawrinka believes that it should be very disrespectful to include him in this prestigious list. Stan Wawrinka stated that although Andy Murray has won the same number of Grand Slams as himself, yet he believes that he cannot be compared to the Briton. The Swiss tennis player mentioned that the two-time Wimbledon champion had won almost 45 ATP titles in his career, which includes 14 Masters titles. “No, it’s the opposite I think. I got bothered when they call it like the big five or things like that or they put me close to Andy Murray just because he won three Grand Slams and I have three Grand Slams. But he has like 45 Master 1000s and he’s been on the top 10 for 20 years and top five the same,” said Wawrinka. Stan Wawrinka gives honest assessment after being compared to the Big Four Stan Wawrinka has gone toe to toe with the Big Four members over his career. He defeated Rafael Nadal in the finals of the 2014 Australian Open to lift his first ever Grand Slam title. He defeated Novak Djokovic in the finals of the French Open and the US Open. However, he still believes that the Big Four members have achieved much more than him in their respective careers, and it would be disrespectful to include him in the same bracket. “So for me I’m completely away from them. I’m miles away from what they achieved and I think it’s a little bit disrespectful for them and especially for Andy, because that’s the talk that came more often,” he said. Stan Wawrinka was defeated in the first round of the 2025 Australian Open against. The Swiss tennis player lost to Lorenzo Sonego in four sets, who had a pretty good run in Melbourne. The three-time Grand Slam champion will turn 40 this year, as questions keep arising on his retirement status. However, the Swiss has reiterated that he would like to continue playing competitive tennis this season. Also Read: “The only thing that matters is a slam title” : Steve Johnson says nothing for more for Alexander Zverev than winning a Grand Slam in 2025

Novak Djokovic
Tennis

“It’s not as if he doesn’t know how to play tennis” : Andy Roddick not concerned with Novak Djokovic’s early exit in Brisbane

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“It’s not as if he doesn’t know how to play tennis” : Andy Roddick not concerned with Novak Djokovic’s early exit in Brisbane Novak Djokovic was defeated in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Brisbane Open, as he kickstarted his season last week. The Serbian was defeated by Reilly Opelka in straight sets, as questions start to rise regarding his chances at the 2025 Australian Open. However, former American tennis player Andy Roddick was not too concerned with the Serb’s loss in Brisbane. He believes that Novak Djokovic would eventually be able to pick up big serves once he gets a couple of more matches in. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was out-served by Reilly Opelka last week in Brisbane. Andy Roddick also believes that Andy Murray joining Novak’s camp would prove to be a huge boost. The Briton has now joined his former rival in Australia, as the first Grand Slam of the year kicks off in a couple of days. “I’m not that concerned. If Novak gets his matches in, maybe he picks up one or two. The training and heat (in Australia) is not going to be bad for him. Andy Murray’s (his coach) done skiing. He’s going to go down to Australia and they’re going to be together. I’m not super alarmed for Novak. It’s not as if he doesn’t know how to play tennis,” said Roddick on Served with Andy Roddick podcast. “I think the best of five format favors Novak over everyone” : Andy Roddick Andy Roddick further added that he would more concerned if Novak Djokovic had not lost to a huge server like Reilly Opelka. “I would be more stressed out if I was part of Novak’s team if he had lost to someone who wasn’t a huge server, someone who couldn’t take the racket out of your hands…someone who makes balls and Novak has a weird loss. I’m not too concerned about it,” Roddick said. Andy Roddick also believes that Novak Djokovic has the edge over most of his rivals when it comes to playing five sets. The American stated that Djokovic had the physical and mental ability to withstand the pressure of a five-setter at Grand Slams, backed by his enormous experience. Andy Roddick further added that Novak Djokovic will be tough to beat at the 2025 Australian Open, given that he has won the title here on 10 occasions already. Moreover, he opined that the loss to Reilly Opelka in Brisbane would not be playing on his mind too much, as the Serbian begins his quest to win his 25th major title. Also Read: “The only thing that matters is a slam title” : Steve Johnson says nothing for more for Alexander Zverev than winning a Grand Slam in 2025

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