Novak Djokovic downplays 25th Grand Slam pressure; Serbian says ‘I don’t feel it’s necessary’ ahead of Australian Open

Novak Djokovic has downplayed the pressure of winning his record-extending 25th Grand Slam title ahead of the Australian Open 2026, stating its unnecessary. Winner of most tennis Grand Slams in men's singles, Djokovic is on level with Australian great Margaret Court, who also has won 24 Major in her career.

Djokovic, who went past Rafael Nadal's 22 Grand Slams in 2023 and reach his 24th Major the same year at US Open, is yet to win one since then. He could have got his 25th in 2024, but a loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the final robbed the 38-year-old, who has struggled with fitness issues lately.

Upon returning to competitive tennis for the first time since November, Djokovic once again was asked about his 25th Grand Slam. There has been a lot of talk about the 25th, but, I try to focus myself on what I have achieved, not what I’m possibly achieving. I mean, I hope it comes to that, but 24 is also not a bad number," said the Serbian in a measured way.

“I mean, obviously, there is always pressure and expectations, but, you know, I don’t think it’s, you know, needed for me to really go far in terms of, you know, make-it-or-break-it type of thing, you know, it’s now-or-never type of mentality. I don’t feel it’s necessary. Neither does that allow me to excel and perform my best," added Djokovic.

Having won his first title at Melbourne Park, Djokovic went on to win nine more in his career at the same venue. In fact, out of 24, Djokovic's 10 at Australian Open is his most at any Grand Slams. He had reached the Australian Open semifinals in the past two editions.

Asked about his fitness update and why he chose to give Adelaide Classic a miss, Djokovic had the most honest answer. “You know, I ended the season in the first week of November, so it’s been a while since I’ve played any competition and any official tournament," Djokovic continued.

“Unfortunately, I had a little setback that prevented me to compete at the Adelaide tournament. That’s why I didn’t go there. I took some time off and obviously took more time to rebuild my body. I understand that in the last couple of years, that’s what changed the most for me, is it takes more time to rebuild, and it also takes more time to reset or recover," he added.