Novak Djokovic retired from this year's Australian Open due to injury, and now he is about to return to Doha for the Qatar Open. The Serbian star has also made it clear that he wants to win his 100th career ATP title at the tournament, which is a long-cherished goal.

The ten-time Australian Open champion suffered a muscle injury in his left leg against Alcaraz in the quarterfinals of this year's Australian Open, but he still managed to win in a hard-fought four-set battle. However, in the semi-finals, he faced world No. 2 Zverev, who lost the first set after a hard-fought first set and was forced to retire due to injury.

In an interview with Montenegrin media outlet Vijesti, Djokovic shared his expectations for Doha 2025 and his thoughts on the Grand Slam tournament.

"The medical team gave me the green light to start training and prepare for the competition." Djokovic said in an interview, "The game in Doha is a week away, so I'm going to prepare according to the plan. Thank God I recovered quickly. I've been through more injuries lately than I've had in the first 15 years of my career, maybe it's related to age, but my body is still doing my bidding, and my desire for achievement and new goals is still burning in my heart. ”

"I'm hoping to win my 100th trophy in Doha, I've been chasing it for a long time and I've been working on it since October last year. But it will come when it's time to come, and thank God, I know it will come eventually, and we'll see when and where it will come to pass. He said.

In addition, he also talked about his vision for the Grand Slam event, "As for the Grand Slam, it is a bigger challenge and more difficult, but I believe I can do it. If I didn't believe I could compete with the best in the world at the highest level, I wouldn't have continued to compete. I think my victory over Alcaraz at the Australian Open has shown that I still have what it takes to compete for the most important titles. ”

Djokovic has been chasing his hundredth ATP title since winning a record seventh ATP Finals title (Sinner) in November 2023. In the 2024 season, he reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and finished runner-up at Wimbledon.

Later in 2024, he achieved the feat of a career "Golden Slam" by winning gold at the Paris Olympics. It was a goal he pursued for many years, and he managed to win the title on his fifth attempt. The victory not only became a landmark moment of the year, but also a milestone in his illustrious career, symbolizing his ultimate goal and cementing his legendary status as a "tennis finisher".

After beating world No. 3 Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of this year's Australian Open, Djokovic has once again shown that he is still a top player in the world, capable of beating the best of his rivals. His desire to win remains strong and he continues to challenge for his 25th career Grand Slam title – an achievement that would see him surpass Australian legend Margaret Court as the most major-winning player in history (both currently 24).

It is worth mentioning that Djokovic's illustrious record at the Qatar Open has made it one of his favourite ATP events, with the Serbian superstar winning back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.

In 2016, he swept past Nadal 6-1 6-2 in the final to show a dominant performance; The following year, he successfully defended his title, beating Murray 6-3 5-7 6-4 in a hard-fought three-set battle. So far, he has an overall record of 15 wins and 2 losses in the tournament, a whopping 88% win rate.

The former world number one is undoubtedly a strong contender for this year's Qatar Open title. However, he will face a serious challenge, with top players including Sinner, Alcaraz and Medvedev all in action. To claim his 100th ATP title, Djokovic will have to put his best foot forward against the world's best opponents on the court.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)