Novak Djokovic says he does not think the upcoming Australian Open is “now or never” for his hopes of winning a standalone all-time record 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic, 38, has been tied on 24 major victories with Australia’s Margaret Court since his last triumph at the 2023 US Open.
Unsurprisingly, the Serb has showed signs of decline in recent years, yet still managed to reach the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams last year.
Given he is a record 10-time men’s champion in Melbourne, and has had plenty of recovery time going into the first major of the season, the consensus is that the Australian Open represents his best chance of landing the elusive record-breaking title.
“There has been a lot of talk about the 25th, but I try to focus myself on what I have achieved, not what I’m possibly achieving,” Djokovic, who is seeded fourth at Melbourne Park, said.
“I hope it comes to that [winning 25], but 24 is also not a bad number. I have to appreciate that and remind myself of the amazing career I had.”
Djokovic has never made a secret of his desire to achieve even more history, but is now attempting to release some of the “unnecessary” pressure he places on himself to surpass Court.
He starts his latest bid against Spain’s Pedro Martinez in Monday’s night session on Rod Laver Arena.
“I don’t think it’s needed for me to really go far in terms of make-it-or-break-it or a now-or-never type of mentality,” said Djokovic, who is aiming to become the oldest Grand Slam men’s champion in the Open Era.
“Neither does that allow me to excel and perform my best.”
Djokovic is the last man other than Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Italy’s Jannik Sinner – who is bidding for a third straight success in Melbourne – to win a Grand Slam title.
Alcaraz, 22, and Sinner, 24, have swept the past eight majors between them, creating a compelling rivalry which is dominating the men’s game.
Last year, Djokovic reached the Australian Open semi-finals after a memorable quarter-final win over Alcaraz, but injured himself in the progress and had to retire from his semi-final against Germany’s Alexander Zverev as a result.
“I know that when I’m healthy, when I’m able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together on a given day, I feel like I can beat anybody,” said Djokovic.
“If I don’t have that self-belief and confidence in myself, I wouldn’t be here.”
Djokovic also spoke for the first time publicly about his decision to walk away from the Professional Tennis Players’ Association, a union-style body which he co-founded in 2020.
Having become disillusioned with its direction, Djokovic announced earlier this month he had “stepped away completely”, citing concerns about “transparency and governance”.
Last year the PTPA launched legal action against tennis’ governing bodies, including the ATP and WTA tours, over what it claimed are “anti-competitive practices and a blatant disregard for player welfare”.
However, it was telling Djokovic was not among the plaintiffs and he became frustrated with his name being “overused” in PTPA business.
“I still have the opinion that the system is failing us and I think it has to change,” Djokovic said.
“I also didn’t like the way the leadership was taking the direction of the PTPA.
“Does that mean that I’m not supporting PTPA? No, I am. I am still wishing them all the best, because I think there is room and a need for 100% players-only representation organization existing in our ecosystem.”
Djokovic’s comments came shortly after the PTPA announced it has reached an early-stage settlement with Tennis Australia – which runs the Melbourne Grand Slam – in relation to the lawsuit.
The agreement could strengthen the PTPA’s hand against the other defendants – the ATP Tour, WTA Tour, French Tennis Federation, All England Club and US Tennis Association.
“The PTPA calls on all stakeholders to support comprehensive reform. This is a generational opportunity to reshape professional tennis for the better,” it said.
