Serena Williams’ former mentor Rick Macci is putting the brakes on the claims that Novak Djokovic’s career is over, emphasizing that there is no new dominant force in the tennis world. Despite Djokovic’s loss at the Australian Open, Macci believes that the Serbian player’s reign is far from over.
At this year’s Australian Open, Djokovic, who is 36 years old, experienced his first-ever defeat in the semifinals, losing to Jannik Sinner in a remarkable match. Sinner, a 22-year-old rising star, went on to win his first Grand Slam title by defeating Daniil Medvedev as well.
Following Djokovic’s unexpected loss, many began speculating that his dominance in the Grand Slam tournaments might be coming to an end.
Macci expressed his thoughts on Djokovic’s performance in a video on his YouTube channel, stating, “Let’s discuss Djoker, shall we? Tough match against Sinner. Sinner gained a lot of confidence from that victory.” Macci went on to praise Djokovic’s remarkable achievements in the past year, winning three out of four Grand Slam tournaments. He firmly believes that Djokovic will continue to be a formidable contender as long as he remains healthy.
After his disappointing performance at the Australian Open, Djokovic took some time off to spend with his family in Spain and enjoyed a winter holiday in South Tyrol, Italy.
As for the upcoming Middle East swing, Djokovic has decided not to participate in any tournaments. His coach, Goran Ivanisevic, confirmed that Djokovic’s next tournament appearance will be at Indian Wells in March.
Indian Wells holds a special place in Djokovic’s career, as he has won the tournament five times in the past. This will be his first appearance since 2019 and his first since the vaccine controversy.