Novak Djokovic Confirms Doha Participation After Recovering From Injury
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Novak Djokovic has given an official update about the injury he sustained at the 2025 Australian Open and revealed where his next tournament will be.
Djokovic's prospects for the rest of the 2025 ATP season looked bleak after he retired from his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev due to a torn left hamstring muscle.
Depending on the severity, a torn muscle can leave players on the sidelines for months. That meant the prospect of Djokovic returning to the court soon seemed like a distant possibility after retiring against Zverev.
However, a report from Sportal indicated that Djokovic planned to return at next week's 2025 Qatar Open and that he would travel to Doha to train and prepare for the ATP 500 tournament.
Djokovic has confirmed the report's accuracy. The Serbian told Vijesti that he is delighted by how quickly the injury has healed. He plans to stick to his original schedule and compete at the Qatar Open, where he is a multiple-time champion.
"There is no more rupture in the muscle, the injury is almost 100 percent repaired and I am ready to go to new work victories. I have the green light from the medical team that I can train, that I can prepare. The tournament in Doha is scheduled for seven days now, so I'm sticking to the schedule. Thank God, I was able to recover quickly."
Although Djokovic acknowledges that he is getting more injuries as he gets older, the 37-year-old retains the passion to keep competing and wants to achieve new things by playing more and not retiring.
"I've had a bit more injuries lately than I did in the first 15 years of my career. This probably comes with age, but my body still listens to me, I still have a burning flame and a desire to achieve and achieve new things. That's why I hope for success, both next week in Doha and in the rest of the season."
Djokovic remains grateful to all those who have supported him throughout his career, admitting that being a top athlete requires sacrifices, which lead to consequences for important family and friend relationships.
"Either you progress or you regress, at least I have always done things with maximum dedication, one hundred percent when it comes to tennis. For that, I always had the support of the people who are the most important in my life, even though it brings with it some consequences and affects relationships in the family and with friends. You have to make many sacrifices in that context."
Djokovic's planned involvement means the Qatar Open entry list is among the best seen for an ATP 500 event in a long time. ATP world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are also set to compete in Doha.
That could lead to some blockbuster battles. Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in their Australian Open quarterfinal last month but has lost his last four matches against Sinner, including their match at the 2024 Six Kings Slam Exhibition.
