For Roland Garros fans, 2025 is going to be a mega year. After Carlos Alcaraz did the impossible in 2024, winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon, the upcoming season is going to be quite interesting.
It will be the year in which Novak Djokovic decides on his future – is he still competitive enough to play against the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, or has he lost his flair?
Djokovic fans have been waiting since the US Open 2023 to see Novak win his 25th Grand Slam title—a title that will make him invincible.
Those with Roland Garros tickets want to think it will be in Paris.
A Year of Downs for Djokovic
Djokovic ranked third in 2024 for win percentage but slipped to seventh in the ATP Tour rankings after struggling throughout the year.
Injuries played a major role in his failure to add to his Grand Slam tally, with Djokovic joined at the top of the all-time list by Margaret Court.
Djokovic has hired Andy Murray as his coach in a bid to move clear of Court. The duo will work together at the Australian Open.
However, the Serbian is on his own in terms of men’s Grand Slam success, with his 24 titles two ahead of Rafael Nadal and four ahead of Roger Federer.
Neither the Spaniard nor the Swiss can catch him, having retired earlier this month and back in 2022.
Djokovic moved one clear of Nadal with his 2023 French Open victory over Casper Ruud, and Federer at the time made a strong prediction about his old rival.
Djokovic’s 2023 French Open win was a special one. Although clay courts aren’t Djokovic’s strong suit, in 2023, he reassured every fan with Roland Garros tickets that he was still worthy.
Now retired, Roger Federer weighed in on Novak’s future recently.
“I remember when I came on tour, and Pete Sampras reached 14, we thought ‘Okay, that one is gonna stay forever’,” said Federer, as quoted by the Metro. “Then I went to 15, I eventually ended up at 17, and then we pushed each other to 20 – I don’t remember who was first – and then Rafa pushed it to 22.
“Then now Novak pushed it to 23 and he looks like he’s going to keep doing that for a long time, which is great. And I wish him all the best.
“I think also the way he’s doing it still – he isn’t the youngest anymore, we forget. He looks young and he does it in a young way, but it’s not easy, and I thought it was an amazing victory. So I couldn’t have been more happy.”
Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam record
Djokovic had an immediate opportunity to extend his honours list in the 2023 Wimbledon final, but young star Carlos Alcaraz came out on top.
The Serbian recovered impressively and won the US Open, although he fell short against Alcaraz once more at Wimbledon in 2024.
Having reached all four Grand Slam finals in 2023, winning three, Djokovic lost in his only attempt this time around.
However, there is every chance the 37-year-old can bounce back again in 2025, beginning with the Australian Open in January.
A victory in Melbourne would tell his fellow competitors that, despite his age, he is still more than capable of performing on the big stage.
It will also strongly message fans looking to buy French Open tickets that Djokovic in 2025 means business.
With a record ten titles, the Australian Open is his strongest major event. Djokovic has also won seven times at Wimbledon, four times at the US Open, and three times at the French Open.
Murray to Coach Djokovic
During Andy Murray’s emotional retirement ceremony this summer at Wimbledon, his interviewer, Sue Barker, wondered whether Murray would be keen to return purely as a spectator. She noted he had many options: a spot among the club members, an invitation into the royal box or even the commentary booth.
Murray had other thoughts: “I’d probably be more comfortable sitting up there in a coaching box than somewhere else,” he said, pointing to the seats his coaching team occupied.
There was never any doubt Murray would go on to be a coach once his career ended, but on Saturday, Murray still shocked tennis and beyond with the announcement he would be Novak Djokovic’s new coach, and they would work together during the off-season until at least the end of the Australian Open.
It is one of the most astonishing coaching partnerships in recent memory.
As two of the leading players of the past 20 years, this pairing is unprecedented. Their own particular history makes it even more fascinating. Murray and Djokovic were born a week apart in the middle of May 1987, and they first met each other as 11-year-olds. Murray easily won their first match.
That marked the start of a rivalry that has lasted 26 years. They have faced each other 36 times, including seven grand slam finals, with Djokovic winning 25 of their meetings.
While Djokovic smothered Murray to win four of his 10 Australian Open titles and then his fourth consecutive grand slam title at the 2016 French Open, Murray won his first grand slam title at the US Open in 2012 and his historic first Wimbledon title in 2013.
At the height of his career, Murray woke up every day trying to extract every last drop of his talent to catch up with Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer. Now, suddenly, they will have to learn how to work together after battling for so long.
“We played each other since we were boys, 25 years of being rivals, of pushing each other beyond our limits,” Djokovic said. “We had some of the most epic battles in our sport. They called us game-changers, risk-takers, and history-makers.
Looking beyond the surprise of this coaching alliance, it is not difficult to see Djokovic’s vision. Along with his talent and monumental work ethic, Murray’s success was driven by his tactical genius and his peerless ability to understand the game, anticipate his opponents’ decision-making, and outsmart them.
He left no stone unturned in his career, constantly watching matches and surveying data to improve his game. With his on-court intelligence and passion, his qualities have always seemed a recipe for success as a coach.
This is a fascinating moment for Djokovic as he navigates his final years as a professional. Now 37, he has won everything there is to offer. He showed he can still perform at the highest level this year by willing himself to victory at the Olympic Games, but he also struggled and occasionally looked his age. He finished the year ranked seventh, having failed to win multiple titles for the first time since 2005.
With the exception of his other great rivals, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, no one else understands those sacrifices and what it takes to be successful in this era as Murray does. Murray is completely unproven as a coach, but he is surely the only person with the authority to keep a 24-time Grand Slam champion honest.
Murray’s possible motivations are perhaps even more interesting. It seemed he would take some time to enjoy himself after retirement, but he is a curious person, particularly when it comes to tennis, his lifelong obsession.
After spending so much of his life trying to outdo Djokovic, he has a rare opportunity to understand his greatest rivals, to compare their experiences and thought processes, and to see where they land. The world will be watching.
Roland Garros tickets are now available for early options.