2025 hasn’t really gone according to Novak Djokovic’s plan, but tennis legend Jimmy Connors feels that the veteran has a ace up his sleeve for the upcoming US Open.
Connors had a warning for the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, claiming that Djokovic wasn’t yet done.
Djokovic has reached three Grand Slam semi-finals this year. He had to retire vs Alexander Zverev in Melbourne, and then lost in the French Open and Wimbledon semi-finals.
Speaking on a podcast, Connors said, “I am not counting him out yet. When you have got guts, you have got guts. And sometimes those guts are going to come out.”
“I got a feeling that as much as he would have liked to have won Wimbledon, that result in the semi, he didn’t like that. Losing three straight sets like that. He is not used to that, that’s not him, that’s not his game. So believe me, the guy can come up with something up his sleeve for the US Open, which might just surprise a lot of people and you know what, I would love to see it,” he added.
2025 is also expected to be Djokovic’s swansong year, but after the Wimbledon semi-final, he hinted that he would be back next year.
Meanwhile, Aussie ace Nick Kyrgios, who has a good relationship with Djokovic, feels that he will be retiring soon. “I think he’s got to be finished soon,” he said.
“Like, come on, what more? I asked him this at Indian Wells this year. We were in the locker room and I said ‘why are you here? Why are you playing?’ He just goes ‘I don’t know.'”
Kyrgios also feels that Djokovic will be more inclined to spend time with his family. “I go ‘what about your kids, I know you want to spend time with your family’. He said ‘yeah, I don’t know’. That was the first time I think he missed his family a lot,” he said.
“I can’t see him playing for more than another year. Not again. Not the whole year again. He is so professional. I am just speaking from my experience if I had a family like his and kid,” he added.