Djokovic Grand Slam Bid: Overcoming Practice Gap & Concerns

Since reports emerged yesterday that Novak Djokovic (Serbia) withdrew from the ATP250 Adelaide tournament, there are concerns about his Grand Slam V25 for various reasons.

Djokovic was scheduled to participate in next week’s Adelaide International as a warm-up tournament for the Australian Open, but announced his withdrawal on the 6th, saying his physical condition was not yet ready. “Unfortunately I am not physically ready to play in the Adelaide International next week,” Djokovic said. He added, “Personally, I am very disappointed because I have great memories of winning there three years ago.”

Djokovic will participate in the first Grand Slam of the year, which begins on January 18, without playing a single match since winning the title by defeating Lorenzo Musetti (Italy) in Athens on November 8 last year. Regarding this, experts all point out that it is unreasonable to immediately participate in the Grand Slam without having two months of actual experience. Considering his age of 39, entering a major tournament right away without a preliminary game could be a big risk in terms of actual performance.

Djokovic withdrew from the 2025 ATP Finals due to a shoulder injury suffered in the last tournament last year. It is unclear whether Djokovic is currently suffering from an injury, but the fact that he is “not physically ready” after not playing for two months is cause for concern.

Djokovic also won against Carlos Alcaras (Spain) in the quarterfinals at the 2025 Australian Open, but had a history of suffering a hamstring injury during the match. It is a big question mark whether Djokovic will be able to last two weeks in a five-set Grand Slam match and whether he will be able to overcome Alcaras and Sinner.

“We often see players trying to rest players more and give them more time to rest,” said Stephen Smith, founder and CEO of sports science and data company Kitman Labs. “But today, regardless of the sport, the physicality and intensity of the game has become bigger, faster and stronger, so that’s turning out to be counterproductive. We thought, ‘Djokovic has a lot of experience already, so he can rely on that and come back and play less. ‘Wouldn’t it?’ But I think if you don’t have the durability or you don’t train at that level consistently, that can be a big problem, so I think too much rest and recovery can have a negative impact.”

In a situation where young, powerful players such as Sinner and Alcaras are dominating the tour, skepticism is rising as to whether Djokovic, who is not in perfect physical condition, will be able to defeat them and win his 25th Grand Slam title by holding on to a 5-set match without any real match experience for more than two months.

It is expected to be confirmed through the Australian Open whether this withdrawal is simply a matter of conditioning or a sign that it is no longer possible to play consecutive matches as before due to the aging curve and chronic injuries.

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