Novak Djokovic just confirmed his next tournament for the 2025 season. And it looks like his year is far from over.
Nobody’s been quite sure what Djokovic’s schedule would look like this year. Over the past 12 months, he’s talked about different approaches to planning his calendar.
First, he wanted to play as many tournaments as possible. Then he switched back to focusing only on Grand Slams.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic | 38 | 8,360 | 18 - 6 |
Winning majors is Djokovic’s main goal these days. But tennis doesn’t work that way – you can’t just show up to a Grand Slam and expect to win without any preparation beforehand.
That’s why playing other events matters too.
After the Grand Slam season wrapped up with the US Open, everyone started wondering what Djokovic would do next. The big question was whether he’d even play again this year.
At first, it seemed like the 38-year-old’s season might be done. But those plans just took an interesting turn.
Djokovic confirmed he’ll compete at the upcoming Shanghai Masters.
The tournament organizers announced Djokovic’s participation on their social media. That means the Serbian legend will be playing at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai from October 1st to 12th.
Djokovic’s played at the Shanghai Masters 13 times before, winning the whole thing four times. His victories came in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018.
In his last appearance there – which was last year – he made it all the way to the final. He only lost to Jannik Sinner.
Djokovic has two more events planned this year
Besides the Shanghai Masters, there are two more events Djokovic wants to play before the year’s out.
One of them is the Six Kings Slam, which runs from October 15th to 18th. Djokovic is one of six players competing, along with Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
But the Serbian player should also appear at one ATP 250 tournament. Djokovic recently relocated to Greece after some disagreements with the Serbian government.
He’s now a resident there, leaving Serbia behind.
So Djokovic should compete at the ATP 250 event in Athens, Greece – which happens to be organized by his brother. The tournament’s official name is the Hellenic Championship, and it’ll run from November 2nd to 8th.
Djokovic keeps competing because of his bond with fans, says top coach
Djokovic continues playing despite not winning a Grand Slam since 2023. That’s pretty unusual for someone who dominated the sport for so long.
Respected coach Patrick Mouratoglou recently talked about Djokovic. He said it’s surprising to see that Djokovic doesn’t seem to trust his body as much anymore.
Mouratoglou also tried to figure out why the 24-time Grand Slam champion keeps competing, even though he’s struggling to win trophies at the same rate he once did.
"The real issue is not whether his body is weaker, but that he seems to believe it. And that belief is new. Earlier in his career, when he was behind Federer and Nadal, he always said: ‘I will find a way, I will be better.’ Now, he says the door is closed. That shift is massive."
"Novak’s greatest strength was his unbreakable belief. If that inner conviction is gone, the body follows. If Novak feels he can no longer win Slams, I don’t think he will keep playing much longer. He has achieved everything: the greatest of all time in the toughest era, against Roger, Rafa, Murray and others. Motivation is harder to find once every dream has been fulfilled."
"Yet, he still plays. Why? I believe part of it is his connection with the fans. For years, Roger and Rafa had the strongest bond with the public. Now, people value Novak more, they recognise his achievements, and he shows more of himself. That new connection might be what keeps him on court, even if the drive is not the same as before."
It’s an interesting point. For most of his career, Djokovic was seen as the outsider compared to Federer and Nadal’s massive fan followings.
But now that both of those legends have retired, fans are starting to appreciate what they’re watching. They’re seeing one of the greatest players ever, still competing at the highest level well into his late thirties.
Maybe that newfound appreciation is giving Djokovic a reason to keep going, even when the wins don’t come as easily as they used to.
