At 37, Djokovic seems to be a shadow of himself.
Novak Djokovic suffered a shock defeat at the Qatar Open 2025. In his first match since recovering from a hamstring injury, the world No. 7 lost to Matteo Berrettini 7-6(4), 6-2. The result raised many questions about the Serbian’s form and mental state.
Djokovic, now 37, had been in excellent form at the Australian Open before being forced to withdraw in the semi-finals due to injury. However, in Doha, he showed a lackluster performance and was described as “emotionally flat” – something he had never seen before.
Former world No. 21 Steve Johnson expressed surprise at Djokovic’s attitude: “Sometimes it feels like he’s not as enthusiastic as before. Maybe Doha is not a tournament he really puts a lot of effort into because it doesn’t help to enhance his legacy.”
Indeed, Djokovic is still chasing a 25th Grand Slam title to surpass the legendary Margaret Court and become the player with the most major titles in history. This has led many to believe that he is no longer too keen on smaller tournaments, especially with Indian Wells and Roland Garros approaching.
Despite the defeat in the singles, Djokovic still participated in the men’s doubles and reached the quarterfinals with Fernando Verdasco – the Spaniard who chose the Qatar Open as the final tournament of his career.
Responding after the loss to Berrettini, Djokovic affirmed: “I was not in the form I wanted, but I played without feeling any pain. There is no excuse.”
However, the media still recorded images of Djokovic limping at the airport when leaving Doha, raising concerns that he has not fully recovered from his injury. He is expected to play Indian Wells next, before turning his focus to the most important goal – Roland Garros 2025.
“Shocking” injury in pickleball village
The Most Anticipated Pickleball Tournaments in the World 2025
ACT Brumbies snatch last minute win over Blues after Lonergan penalty
League of Legends community criticizes Naafiri’s remake