Novak Djokovic has challenged critics who have speculated about his preparation, saying physical problems have been the main obstacle during a difficult 2026 season. The 24-time Grand Slam champion made the comments before the Paris Masters, which could be his final tournament of the year.
“People that love to express their expert opinion on knowing exactly what’s happening with me, but they don’t,” Djokovic said. He explained that his priority this year had been feeling well enough to compete, rather than focusing solely on his level of play, and that his struggles were not caused by insufficient training or preparation.
The season has brought both strong results and early defeats. Djokovic won the China Open for a record seventh time and also highlighted the Australian Open as one of his best tournaments. He said Beijing was his best week of the year apart from Australia, and described his performance in Basel as good despite losing a close match.
Djokovic said he had recently been feeling better and that he and his team were getting closer to resolving the health issues he had faced over the past 12 months. When he has felt well, he added, his performance, enjoyment and confidence on court have improved.
He has also recorded early exits at the Cincinnati Open, Italian Open and Shanghai Masters. Despite those setbacks, wins over Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev between the Australian Open and China Open showed he can still compete with leading players.
A deep run in Paris would give Djokovic an outside chance of qualifying for the ATP Finals. He begins against Valentin Vacherot, who recently won the Swiss Indoors for the second ATP title of his career. Djokovic is also in the same section of the draw as Zverev and Alex de Minaur.
Sources: Tennis365.