Novak Djokovic confirms his next event after previous uncertainty

Tuesday, 23 September 2025 at 13:51

byErik Virostko

Novak Djokovic confirmed his next tournament in the 2025 season, which seems to be far from over.

There has been considerable uncertainty surrounding Djokovic's schedule this year. Over the past 12 months, he has discussed various approaches to creating his calendar. First, he wanted to play as many tournaments as possible, but then, he returned to focusing only on Grand Slams.

Winning majors is Djokovic's ultimate goal, but tennis is a sport in which no one can just come to a Grand Slam and win it without any previous preparation. That's why participating in other events is also important.

However, after the Grand Slam season ended with the US Open, questions have been surrounding Djokovic's next plans. The question was whether he would still play this year.

At first, it seemed that the 38-year-old's season might be over, but those plans now took an interesting shift. Djokovic confirmed that he will compete at the upcoming Shanghai Masters.

The tournament organizers confirmed Djokovic's participation through their social media profiles, which means the Serbian legend will be present at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai from October 1st to 12th.

Djokovic has played at the Shanghai Masters 13 times, winning the event four times. His wins came in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018. In his last participation, which was last year, he reached the final, losing only to Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic has two more events planned this year

Apart from the Shanghai Masters, there are two more events that Djokovic wants to play in this year. One of them is the Six Kings Slam, which runs from October 15th to 18th. Djokovic is one of six players competing along with Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

But the Serbian player should appear at one ATP 250 tournament as well. Djokovic recently relocated to Greece. He is now a resident in this country, leaving Serbia after some disagreements with the government.

As such, Djokovic should compete at the ATP 250 event in Athens, Greece, organized by his brother. The tournament's official name is the Hellenic Championship, and it will run from November 2nd to 8th.

Djokovic keeps competing because of his bond with fans, says top coach

Djokovic continues to play despite failing to win a Grand Slam since 2023. Respected coach Patrick Mouratoglou recently spoke about Djokovic, saying it's surprising to see that he doesn't trust his body as much anymore. Mouratoglou also analyzed why the 24-time Grand Slam champion continues competing despite struggling to win trophies at the same rate as he once did.

"The real issue is not whether his body is weaker, but that he seems to believe it. And that belief is new. Earlier in his career, when he was behind Federer and Nadal, he always said: 'I will find a way, I will be better.' Now, he says the door is closed. That shift is massive."

"Novak’s greatest strength was his unbreakable belief. If that inner conviction is gone, the body follows. If Novak feels he can no longer win Slams, I don’t think he will keep playing much longer. He has achieved everything: the greatest of all time in the toughest era, against Roger, Rafa, Murray and others. Motivation is harder to find once every dream has been fulfilled."

"Yet, he still plays. Why? I believe part of it is his connection with the fans. For years, Roger and Rafa had the strongest bond with the public. Now, people value Novak more, they recognise his achievements, and he shows more of himself. That new connection might be what keeps him on court, even if the drive is not the same as before."