Tennis

Novak Djokovic Will Play Singles And Doubles At This Week’s ATP Qatar Open

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By
wendioliveros
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wendioliveros Sports Editor

Wendi Oliveros is a diehard tennis fan that is known to set her clock at ridiculous hours to watch live action especially during the Australian Open. She is known for indulging in strawberries and cream during Wimbledon and has watched the US Open live several times.

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Sports Editor

Published16 Feb 2025

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Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic returns to competitive tennis this week at the 2025 ATP Qatar Open.  Fans have not seen Djokovic in action since he retired from his Australian Open semifinal match against Alexander Zverev.

Djokovic is all in at Qatar as he will play both singles and doubles.  In doubles, he will pair with Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.  Verdasco, 41, is a former World No. 7 player who plans to retire from competitive tennis after the ATP Qatar Open.  On Monday, they will take the court in a challenging first-round match against Karen Khachanov and Alexander Bublik.  Khachanov is the defending singles champion.

Novak Djokovic will begin his Doha singles campaign on Tuesday in an intriguing first-round match against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini. He has never lost to Berrettini in four previous meetings, three of which happened at Grand Slams in 2021, the Roland Garros quarterfinal, Wimbledon final, and US Open quarterfinal.

Djokovic is a two-time champion of this event which originated in 1993. He won back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.

What To Expect From Novak Djokovic

Despite being bitten by injuries in recent years, Djokovic, 37, is still somewhat of an ageless wonder.  He proved that in 2024 when he won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

His priority is to win Grand Slams, but he needs match play at other ATP tournaments to prepare for those events.  In addition to Doha, Djokovic plans to play the Sunshine Double of Indian Wells and Miami in March.

Djokovic is seeking his 100th career title.  He has 99 and is third behind Jimmy Connors with 109 and Roger Federer with 103.

Djokovic remains a threat to win any hardcourt tournament he enters; he is a 10-time Australian Open champion. With World No. 1 and two-time Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner suspended until May, it opens the door for other excellent hardcourt players like Djokovic to earn titles.