Tennis

“I’m probably going to have to step back a few steps for that first serve” : Novak Djokovic on facing Reilly Opelka in Brisbane quarterfinals Novak Djokovic has cruised into the quarterfinals of the Brisbane Open following his straight sets victory over Gael Monfils on Thursday. The Serbian extended his dominance over the Frenchman with his victory, as the head to head now stands at 20-0. Novak Djokovic was delighted to have his entire family in Australia this time around, as he starts his bid to claim an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title. The 37-year-old defeated Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3 to setup a quarterfinal clash with Reilly Opelka. Novak Djokovic was wary about the threat Reilly Opelka brings, given that he is among the biggest serves in the game. He stated that both of them share a very friendly relationship off court, as they lock horns for the first time in their career on Friday. “It’s a first time for me to have my family ‘down under’; it’s a very long trip, but they came here to be with me and support me, and we’re spending a lot of quality time off the court together. My heart is full, and it allows me to play my best tennis,” said Djokovic. “We have some big servers in the tournament. Super tall guys. They could have been top-class basketball players if they’d chosen to do that. Incredible strength and power. Opelka has been injured; a couple of years he has struggled a lot. A great guy off the court, we get along very well. I don’t know if we’ve ever faced each other.“ Novak Djokovic wary of Reilly Opelka’s threat in the quarterfinals Novak Djokovic joked that he would have to step back on Reilly Opelka’s serve, given the pace and bounce he is able to generate. The Serbian hopes to continue his good form, and secure a win over the American. “This is going to be the first encounter. My gosh, I’m probably going to have to step back a few steps for that first serve. Completely different match-up to the one I had tonight. I’ll do my best to get ready and hopefully get a win.” Novak Djokovic is seeded first in Brisbane, and is the favorite to win the title this week. However, he will have to face some tricky opponents on his way to the title. Reilly Opelka has also been in good form this week, securing a straight sets victory over Matteo Arnaldi in the last 16 clash. The American won both the sets in a tiebreaker, serving 25 aces in the match. Novak Djokovic has appointed his former rival Andy Murray as his new coach for the upcoming season. The Briton is expected to join his camp in the week before the 2025 Australian Open. The duo have played some spectacular tennis in Melbourne over the course of their respective careers, and only time will tell if Murray’s experience can help the Serbian in winning 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

“I’ll give him the pleasure of playing doubles with me” : Nick Kyrgios on practicing doubles with Novak Djokovic after sustaining long-term injury Nick Kyrgios long-awaited return is finally upon us, as the Aussie is expected to take part in the Brisbane International which is already underway. Kyrgios’s first match after a series of injuries will be anything but easy as he is up against the hottest French star this year, Mpetshi Perricard in the Round of 32. But fans are even more so excited about his return in the doubles segment, as Nick Kyrgios will be teaming up against none other than rival turned friend, Novak Djokovic. The duo will be seen battling it out in the Round of 32 on Monday against Alexander Erler and Andreas Mies. “I honestly never thought I’d be back playing at this level” : Nick Kyrgios Nick Kyrgios has time and again revealed that he did not expect to ever be back in action at a professional level due to the level of injuries he has sustained.  “I honestly never thought I’d be back playing at this level, even entering an event like this, preparing, doing all the right things.” “I’m obviously a little bit… I don’t know if I’d call it nervous. When I was hitting on the stadium, playing [Reilly Opelka] who’s also had a couple of injuries, I guess we just reflected. It was surreal to be back out there. I took it all in. I’m really excited to just go out there and play, just play tennis.” the Aussie revealed ahead of the Brisbane International tournament. But it is pleasant to see that his funny side has still not vanished even after the trauma sustained, as the 29-year-old reflected on Novak Djokovic ‘fanboying’ over the shot of playing tennis with him. “I saw Novak in the gym, [I’m] playing doubles with him, there is a lot to be excited about, that I’m able to get out there and compete again. He kept messaging me over and over again. I was just like, I’ll give him a little handout and give him the pleasure of playing doubles with me.” “It’s going to be a lot of fun. Look, a kid from Canberra gets to play with the greatest of all time in his home town in front of the fans is pretty special. It’s something that I’m able to tell people when it’s all said and done that I played doubles with him. “It’s pretty special.” Kyrgios on playing with the Serbian. Considering his last match was in June of 2023 and last Grand Slam at the 2022 US Open, we will likely not see the best of the Aussie for a while. Although, coming back after 18 months to play in front of your home crowd, that too along with a member of the ‘Big 3’ is a pretty good way of restarting your career. Also Read: “He’s a good-looking No. 1 in the world, wins a lot of tournaments” : Daniil Medvedev gives his opinion regarding Jannik Sinner’s popularity in Italy

“I am ready to play my tennis again and I have the feeling that I can challenge these guys” : Novak Djokovic reveals that he will battle it out against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on the Grand Slam stage You would think that after winning 24 Grand Slam titles, an Olympic Gold, and countless other ATP trophies would be enough to call it a day. But not in the slightest for Novak Djokovic, who plans out to head-to-head with the youngsters to claim more Grand Slams. The Serbian will start a new chapter of his career next year as he teams up with head coach Andy Murray to retrieve the Grand Slam titles which he was unable to get his hands on this year, thanks to the sheer dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz who beat him in the Australian Open and Wimbledon finals respectively. Djokovic won three out of the four Grand Slams back in 2023 before his current drought this year, which makes it the first time since 2017 that the Serbian failed to secure even a single Grand Slam in a year. In a recent interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, the Serbian addressed that he will challenge Sinner, Alcaraz and Zverev provided he is fit physically and mentally. “I feel I can still play at the highest level. Sinner and Alcaraz have established themselves as the two best players in the world, not to forget (Alexander) Zverev,” “All of them will be the main candidates to win the Slams and other titles. However, physically and mentally I am ready to play my tennis again and I have the feeling that I can challenge these guys, my experience can come in handy.” Djokovic said. The Serbian also confirmed that he will do his best in order to play more matches and tournaments, as one of the main reasons for his slip-ups this year was his knee injury which led him to skip and even forfeit many tournaments. “So next year I will play more tournaments and the Grand Slams will be my priority. I will give my best to win, of course if my body allows me to,” Djokovic, who has now gone to the world no.7 ranking, was asked if he would give any solid advice to world no.1 Jannik Sinner after his successes this year winning eight titles which includes two Grand Slams. The Serbian admitted that time will tell if he can keep up with this kind of consistency. “It seems to me that he is doing well even without my advice. But winning your first two Slams and becoming No. 1 is one thing, staying at that level for years is another.” the 37-year-old explained. With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal retired and Andy Murray becoming his own coach, only Djokovic is left from the previous era’s golden generation, as he does not want to give the crown to the youngsters just yet. The Serbian looks to extend his record and win Grand Slam no.25 as the Australian Open commences on January 12. Also Read: “He’s a good-looking No. 1 in the world, wins a lot of tournaments” : Daniil Medvedev gives his opinion regarding Jannik Sinner’s popularity in Italy

“I think his serve was very underrated” : Denis Shapovalov picks Novak Djokovic’s most underrated trait Novak Djokovic in his initial years in professional tennis was not the most prolific of technicians on court. But now at the age of 37, the Serbian is one of the most complete players we have ever seen play. The 24-time Grand Slam champion really does not have any genuine weakness, as apart from his insane consistency and work rate, he is also able to best his opponent throughout the match nine times out of ten. Among the many players who have tried to take down the Serbian, Denis Shapovalov is one who has never been able to beat him. The Canadian’s backhand is regarded as one of the best in the game, and he recently revealed what he thinks is the Serbian’s best move. “I think his serve was very underrated. Especially under pressure the guy would serve on the lines,” Shapovalov said (via UTS Tour’s YouTube channel). “I feel like Novak makes you play worse. He does nothing wrong but he will find whatever is not working that day but then hit it there every single time!” the 25-year-old added. Djokovic’s serve has greatly improved over the latter stage of his career, as his serves land almost at or on the line while his second serve has won him points 69% of the time, the highest from anyone else as recorded by the ATP Tour. “The guy was toying with me” : Denis Shapovalov recalls his time against Novak Djokovic To say that the former world no.1 made his opponents suffer would be an understatement. Djokovic has made his opponents look like fools and much more at times, and Shapovalov is an unfortunate victim as well. In the eight times the duo has met each other, the Canadian has failed to record even a single victory. Shapovalov remembered in the 2019 Paris Masters Final that the Serbian was unwell ahead of their clash, yet he was still unable to provide any answer for his brilliance even when sick. Djokovic was easily able to get the victory over the Canadian 6-3, 6-4, making it the sixth of a record seven titles at the Masters 1000 event in Paris. “I remember Paris the year I made finals, I played him in the finals and I heard rumours he had been sick all week. He was drinking his juices and drinking stuff all the time,” “I was like I have got him, I am playing the best tennis of my life. The guy is not feeling good, he’s not 100%. This is my chance. No chance. The guy was toying with me.” Shapovalov revealed. Also Read: “He’s a good-looking No. 1 in the world, wins a lot of tournaments” : Daniil Medvedev gives his opinion regarding Jannik Sinner’s popularity in Italy This statement from the Canadian helps us more understand on how difficult it is to beat the likes of Novak Djokovic, as even world class individuals and way younger than him tend to struggle.

“Murray fit the bill perfectly” : Novak Djokovic addresses the reason he chose Andy Murray as his coach at this stage of his career In one of the late surprises of the tennis calendar year, Novak Djokovic dropped a bombshell for the tennis world to see, as he will now join forces with long-time rival and friend Andy Murray, who will be the Serbian’s coach going into the Australian Open next year. Although the Englishman has retired just this year only, the Serbian still believes that he can be of great value and add a different kind of experience to his team. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was as surprised as anyone when this decision was made as well. Obviously, some can argue that after cutting ties with Goran Ivanisevic in March, the Serbian still performed immensely well as he won the coveted Olympic gold medal in Paris this year after beating one of the best players in the world in Carlos Alcaraz, that too without the advice of any coach. Talking to the Sky Sports News about why he chose Andy Murray as coach at the age of 37, the Serbian had some great points to justify his addition to his team. “I was going through a process of thinking about next season and trying to figure out what I need at this stage of my career. Because I stopped with my coach Goran Ivanisevic, that I was very successful with for many years, in March.” 37 years of age, completed the sport, part of the Big 3; there really is nothing much left for the Serbian to prove his status as an icon of the sport. So naturally, he does not require the services of any world class tennis coach as much as he did when he was younger. And that is why appointing Murray seems like a valid decision, because of the duo facing similar experiences throughout their careers, and the Englishman may be more than just a coach to help out the Serbian during the final stages of his career. “So, I took about six months to really think about if I really need a coach, and if yes, who that’s going to be and the profile of the coach. We were going through different names and I realised the perfect coach for me at this point would be someone that has been through the experiences that I’m going through, possible multiple Grand Slam winner, former No 1.” “I was thinking about different people and then an Andy Murray discussion appeared on the table with me and my team. It was still a shock decision. It caught him a little bit off guard as well because he wasn’t expecting it, so we connected really fast and he accepted after a few days.” “I couldn’t be more excited about it. This collaboration is a surprise to me as well, to everyone. But it’s exciting for tennis. He’s been one of my greatest rivals. We’re the same age. We’ve played in all the biggest stadiums in our sport. So I can’t wait to get out on the court and prepare for next season.” Djokovic explained his actions as to why Andy Murray fit the bill perfectly. Novak Djokovic reveals he has no intention of retiring just yet With two-thirds of the Big 3 now retired, fans thought it would be a matter of time to see the Serbian hit the road as well, especially after winning the only accolade which has escaped his grasps throughout his career, the Olympic gold medal. But all those rumours have hit a dead end, as Djokovic stated he still plans on to continue because his body is serving him well. “We all know that we all have to stop and say goodbye at some point to what we’ve done all of our lives, [with] Andy and Rafa [Nadal], we knew that the end was coming. But both of them saying farewell to tennis in the same year, it’s a shock for all of us. It’s a shock for the tennis world because they are legends in our sport.” “I still will try to go strong because I feel like my body is serving me well. I still have motivation to win Grand Slams, make more history.” Still the world no.7 and now with Andy Murray by his side, the Serbian can make more history by attempting to reach Grand Slam no. 25 next year. “That’s one of the biggest reasons why I asked Andy to work with me. Because I still have big plans. So as long as that’s the case, I’ll keep going. I don’t have any date in my mind or any result after I achieve it potentially that I’m going to say goodbye and retire.” “I’ll keep going as much as I feel like I can be one of the candidates for the biggest titles in sport.” the Serbian said. It will not be that surprising to see Novak Djokovic play for another year or two, and if he is able to keep his injuries sidelined, we may well see the Serbian claim the crown of the greatest among the Big 3 by the end of his career. Also Read: “He’s a good-looking No. 1 in the world, wins a lot of tournaments” : Daniil Medvedev gives his opinion regarding Jannik Sinner’s popularity in Italy