Novak Djokovic spills the beans on how he is planning to upstage Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner & other top players in 2025

Novak Djokovic has said he would do "whatever it takes" to keep up with youngsters in 2025. He opened his new season with a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 win against home favorite Rinky Hijikata in his Brisbane first round on Tuesday.

However, Djokovic is aware of the tougher challenges that await him deeper in the draws in the tournaments ahead. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alacaraz spearhead a talented pack of Next Gen players, set to take over from the old guard represented by Djokovic.

At a press conference after his first-round match, the Serb was asked about the challenge being presented by the next generation. The 37-year-old said the most important thing for him was his continued willingness to compete with the youngsters and put in the hours needed to prepare for those matches.

Trending

Djokovic revealed that his team had planned to analyze video footage of select top opponents to devise a strategy as they get closer to the Australian Open, where the Serb will be gunning for a record-extending 11th title.

"And ready to compete, whatever it takes, however many hours it takes with the youngsters," Novak Djokovic said. "And then, of course, you know, I think in the upcoming weeks, we will also, particularly the week before Australian Open, do a lot of video analysis of my main opponents, top guys."

"Trying to understand how my game matches up against theirs and what I have done in the past well, what I can improve," he added.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner added that he enjoyed delving into numbers and analytics in the lead-up to tournaments. He, however, was quick to concede that once a tournament begins, his prep is focused more on addressing the challenge that each day presents.

"So there is quite a bit of analytics in there, and I am that kind of person. I like to go into details. But when the tournament starts, I like to keep things conceptually simple and the base needs to be there, and then of course there is always something each day that kind of surfaces that you need to address," he added.

Novak Djokovic takes the lead as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz await start of season

Novak Djokovic at the Brisbane International. (Source: Getty)

Novak Djokovic has taken the lead in terms of starting the season early, compared to two of his biggest rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Neither of the youngsters has so far entered any tournament before the Australian Open.

Djokovic, meanwhile, already has two match wins (one singles and one doubles) under his belt. He will be looking to use the extra matches to fine-tune his game, leading up to the season’s first Grand Slam.

Sinner and Alcaraz had swept the four Majors in 2024. While the Italian beat Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinal, the Spaniard ousted him in the Wimbledon final. The year 2024 was the first since 2017 when Djokovic failed to win a Grand Slam title.

× Feedback Why did you not like this content? Clickbait / Misleading

Factually Incorrect

Hateful or Abusive

Baseless Opinion

Too Many Ads

Other Cancel Submit Was this article helpful? Thank You for feedback

How did Novak Djokovic meet Jelena Ristic? All about the most admired couples in tennis

Click here to read article