Novak Djokovic has entered the final chapter of his tennis career, facing a unique set of challenges.
As a 24-time Grand Slam champion, Djokovic’s primary aim now seems to be winning a 25th major title, possibly the only record left to break. This may well be his sole motivation at 37 years of age.
However, he can’t simply show up at Grand Slam tournaments without proper preparation, which could jeopardize his chances of success.
This places Djokovic in a somewhat unique predicament. He must participate in other tournaments to remain in peak condition, yet his motivation for these events appears to be waning.
Recently, the 99-time ATP titlist competed at the 2025 Qatar Open in Doha. He suffered a first-round loss to Matteo Berrettini, which led former ATP player Steve Johnson to discuss Djokovic’s motivation on the latest episode of the Nothing Major podcast.
Johnson expressed confusion over Djokovic’s decision to compete in Doha, acknowledging potential sponsorship obligations to a Qatari company but sensing a lack of motivation from the Serbian in this particular tournament.
“I am not sure what Novak’s plan is going forward; nobody knows it but him. I don’t know why he is playing this tournament just in general. It feels like he just wants to win Slams to continue his legacy and stamp as the greatest champion of the sport we have ever seen.”
“There are obviously financial obligations and commitments he has made in the past; we don’t know exactly what it takes for him to play these types of events. It just feels as if he is not as motivated to win in Dubai or Doha than he is to win a Slam, which is rightfully so, because that’s the only thing which can further his legacy.”
It would be understandable for Djokovic to lack the same motivation for the Qatar Open as he would for the Australian Open. Johnson speculated that the 37-year-old might not compete again until Indian Wells.
“Good to see him out there playing; I thought we weren’t going to see him until Indian Wells, and just play some of the Masters series to win the French [Open], win Wimby [Wimbledon]. So interesting to see him out there.”
Johnson also noted that Djokovic appears a bit “flat” on the court these days, which has not been his usual demeanor. He recognized Berrettini’s excellent performance but continued to question Djokovic’s emotional investment.
“It sometimes feels that he is a bit flat emotionally, which has usually never been the case for him. He has earned the right to play whatever schedule he wants. It’s a tough draw going against Berrettini, who played really well that match; his serve, his forehand—everything was going well.”
“It’s just interesting to watch Novak in these events because the Doha title is not going to further his legacy, so I’m not sure about his emotional investment.”
