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Live sport on SN this weekendNovak Djokovic weighs in on tour schedule ahead of US Open
Christian Montegan • August 24th, 2025 12:35 pm
So often, Novak Djokovic carries a unique aura when entering a Grand Slam, especially nowadays after skipping the North American hard court swing in the lead-up to the US Open.
The 38-year-old continues to manage his body accordingly and hasn't played competitively since his Wimbledon semi-final exit against eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
Speaking to the press on media day in New York ahead of the year's final Grand Slam, Djokovic addressed doubts concerning his lack of match preparation.
"I've put in a lot of training in the last three, four weeks," he stated.
"I decided not to play [after Wimbledon] because I wanted to spend more time with my family and, to be honest, I think I've earned my right and have the luxury of picking and choosing where I want to go play.
"To be quite frank, I don't enjoy the two-week Masters events anymore; it's just way too long for me. My focus is more on the Slams, but I also like other tournaments. I'd like to play more, but we have, unofficially, 12 Grand Slams a year when you think about it.
"I'm not prioritising the heavy schedule as I used to. I'm not chasing the rankings or building up my points... I just don't think about it anymore.
"For me, it's about where do I find motivation and joy? Where will I be to be inspired to play the best tennis? And where do I care to be and play?"
Djokovic later added that if he remains in the tournament by September 2, he will miss his daughter's birthday, which is the type of special event he "doesn't want to be missing anymore".
As he mentioned, the consistent two-week Masters format has deterred him from competing in the ATP 1000 events — a format which many players and fans have complained about as it contributes to an already congested schedule.
"I have noticed that a lot of top players have been quite opposing the new change of the almost two-week Masters events. I support the players, but at the end of the day, when the players needed to be active and when there was a time of negotiations and decision-making, players weren't participating enough," he explained.
"This is an ongoing story of the players, particularly top players. They express their feelings, but then when you really need to put in the time and the energy into conversations, meetings, which I know it's very difficult. I have been there, trust me, many times. But it's necessary because then, you know, you're doing something not only for yourself but future generations, and you're making the right moves, the right steps and contributing."
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) recently announced a 20 per cent increase in tournament prize money, with the overall pool exceeding NZ$146 million, including NZ$8.5 million for the men's and women's singles winners.
Djokovic, who is co-founder of the Professional Tennis Players' Association (PTPA) alongside the retired Vasek Pospisil, has been a strong advocate for more money to be trickled down to lower-ranked players to help earn a sustainable living.
"It's a step in the right direction. Obviously, it's always nice and positive to see that Grand Slams are willing to improve the prize money overall across the board for the players," Djokovic said when asked about the prize money bump.
"(In) an ideal situation for us, I think there's still more room for improvement.
"For the record, I'm not talking about myself, because I see that in the past when I talk about this topic, people like to say, 'Well, look at him wanting more money for himself,' it's not about that. I'm just talking about how not many tennis players live out of this sport globally, and that's not something I see being talked about enough."
In a bid to capture a record 25th major title, the four-time US Open champion has to first navigate past 19-year-old American Learner Tien in the first night session match on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday, 10am NZST.
