Novak Djokovic admitted he was lacking in motivation for large parts of 2024, but former world No 7 Barbara Schett believes the Serbian legend has made the mind shift change he needed heading into the new season.
Djokovic slipped to a succession of surprising defeats last season and openly admitted he has lost the desire to compete in regular ATP Tour events.
The focus for what may be the final year of the remarkable career of the 24-time Grand Slam-winning great needs to be redefined and Schett has told Tennis365 that he has a chance to achieve his big target in the opening month of the year.
A 25th Grand Slam title would move Djokovic ahead of Margaret Court in the all-time list of major winners in tennis, with 1999 US Open quarter-finalist Schett, who will be Eurosport reporter working on the live and exclusive coverage of the 2025 Australian Open, suggesting the Serbian is a big candidate to win the title in Melbourne for a remarkable 11th time.
“It looks like the 25th Grand Slam is now the big target,” Schett told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview.
“Last year it was the Olympic gold medal and he ticked that one off. He didn’t play too much tennis around that and had a few unexpected losses and this year he wants to start afresh. He knows this could be his last year as he can’t forever.
“So he has implemented a big change with Andy and even though he doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone, getting this 25th Grand Slam title would be an amazing achievement. If anyone can do it, then Novak can do it.
“It’s not getting any easier, that’s for sure. He’s got to feel it when he has back-to-back five-setters. He is 37 now and even though he has the best team around him to get him ready for matches and he lives and breathes tennis, he has got to feel it when he plays against a 21-year-old like Alcaraz.
“What I would say about Novak is I would never, ever write him off. He will always have a chance.”
Schett went on to suggest that Djokovic’s motivation question may have been answered when hired his former rival Andy Murray to work with him as a coach at the Australian Open.
The initial surprise following the announcement of the unexpected double act has now been replaced with intrigue over how they will perform in unison.
“He wouldn’t be playing any more if his motivation was gone,” continued Schett. “Having Andy Murray there might give him another boost and it could give him the extra drive he needs this year.
“He needs to try to do anything to stay there head-wise and tennis-wise if he wants to get that 25th Grand Slam title.
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“I was very surprised when I heard Andy was going to coach him, but now I’m excited to see what happens.
“Andy wasn’t with him in Brisbane, so everyone was watching when they were on court together in Melbourne for the first time it will be fascinating to see how it works out.
“There was a lot of communication between them and that was not a surprise. Novak Djokovic has always been big into details and he likes to squeeze everything out of every area on and off the court to become a better tennis player. Andy was like that as well.
“It will be interesting to see how Novak approaches this. The big difference is going to be the self-confidence. To have someone like Andy sitting in your box, it can help you move mountains.”
Djokovic has spoken about the start of his partnership with Murray, as he has been impressed by the Scot’s fledgling coaching skills.
“He’s spending quite a bit of time with other team members, trying to get synchronised with them. So far it has been only a positive experience for me. I’m very pleasantly surprised with his dedication and professionalism, considering he’s never had the experience of working as a tennis coach.
“It comes naturally to him. His IQ generally and tennis IQ is very high. He observes and speaks when is most important. I think he understands the moment when he needs to say something and what to say and what to ask.
“I must say at the beginning it was a bit of a strange feeling to be able to share the insights with him, not just about the game but about how I feel about life in general.
“Not in a negative way, but just in a way I have never done that with him because he was always one of my greatest rivals. We were always kind of hiding things from each other.
“Now all cards are open on the table. That’s what he demands. I am 100 per cent supportive of that kind of communication method where you share everything because that’s the best way for him to understand you and to actually help you in whatever way he can.”
While Schett believes Djokovic can press for another title in Melbourne, she is backing either Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz to prevail.
“It’s a pretty boring prediction, but I have to go with either Sinner or Alcaraz,” she added. “Let’s go with Alcaraz this time. It would be great to see him do the career Grand Slam at 21.”
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