Novak Djokovic is gearing up for the 2025 US Open, but things haven’t been going smoothly. He’s dealing with some injury worries that are making his quest for that 25th Grand Slam title a bit tricky. The Serbian star hasn’t played a competitive match since his straight-sets loss to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals back in July. He looked pretty affected by an upper leg injury he picked up during a tough fall in his quarterfinal against Flavio Cobolli.
So, he decided to pull out of the Cincinnati Open, mentioning a “non-medical” reason for it. This has really ramped up the chatter about his fitness as we get closer to Flushing Meadows, and now he’s going into the final major of the year without any hard-court match prep.
However, it looks like new doubts are popping up after a video made its way onto social media, showing Novak Djokovic getting some physical treatment during a practice session in Montenegro. On X, @Olly_Tennis_ shared the video which captured the 38-year-old pausing his training to address discomfort in his right knee—the same joint that required meniscus surgery last year.
Novak Djokovic had some physical treatment during his practice today in Montenegro for a right knee issue pic.twitter.com/JCQYDEiwp7
— Olly Tennis (@Olly_Tennis_) August 17, 2025
Even though Djokovic had been training without a knee brace lately, showing he’s making progress in his recovery, the latest clip has brought back worries about whether his body can handle the demands of a best-of-five Grand Slam.
This potential setback comes at a pretty concerning time, especially considering Djokovic’s recent comments about going up against younger players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Novak Djokovic’s candid confession about playing against a younger force
Novak Djokovic once shared some honest thoughts about his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as Wimbledon 2025 approached, brushing off the idea that he was the favorite, even with his impressive track record at SW19.
The 38-year-old acknowledged the rising dominance of his younger rivals and dismissed his former’s coach’s statements in a positive way, stating, “I love Goran and I’m happy he loves me back but I don’t think I’m a favorite against these guys at the moment. I think they are, both of them. But I do probably have my best chance here against them. If it comes down to me facing one of them or two of them, which I hope so.. that means I’ll proceed to the finals.. then I’ll obviously look for my best game to win. I think I do have a chance.”
Novak Djokovic further continued, stating, “There’s no doubt about it. I think my results on grass, even in the previous years, are a testament to my confidence on this surface. I’ve been playing some really good tennis this year. I feel good about myself. I feel confident. I feel motivated to go all the way. Let’s see what happens.”
But that semifinal loss really highlighted a bigger change in men’s tennis, with Djokovic now seeing himself as the underdog when going up against Sinner and Alcaraz. Even though he had faith in himself and what he could do, his comments showed a tough truth: the time when the Big Four were in charge is shifting to a new generation.
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