"His speed is not only physical, but above all neurological. He reads the game first" - Djokovic's former trainer opens up on incredible fitness standards

38-year-old Novak Djokovic has amazed the tennis world with his fitness and ability to still compete despite his age. This was praised by his former trainer Marco Panichi who delved into how Djokovic treated this.

It is a large factor not just why he is still competing, but because of how much he has won in the sport. He is a 24-time Grand Slam champion, more than anyone in the sport has achieved over an incredible 15 years span. The Serbian is still in the hunt for more glory at the top of the sport having reached four consecutive major semi-finals. He would also clinch his 100th title in the Geneva Open back in the clay swing. He became the third player on the ATP Tour to complete this after Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors. Now up to 101 after winning the Hellenic Championship, he is not stopping there as his quest to cement himself even more in tennis' legacy continues.

While 2025 may not have been his best season by his remarkable standards, the fact that he is still competing at this level on a consistent basis is mind-blowing. While he has taken measures to keep himself fresher and avoid injuries by missing numerous events, it seems to be doing the trick.

Panichi is one of the most respected trainers on Tour. Once an Italian long jump champion, he went onto the world of tennis to take up his next passion. He partnered with Djokovic for seven years and oversaw 12 Grand Slam titles. The pair split in 2024 after Djokovic departed with many of his team members, including long-term coach Goran Ivanisevic. While the Italian had aided Djokovic hugely in this time together, he unveiled that he learned a lot in his relationship with the former world number one.

“With Novak I learned that every exercise must have a specific reason, an objective, and a parameter to measure progress," he told Ubitennis. "He doesn't accept anything as routine: he wants to understand everything. His speed is not only physical, but above all neurological. He reads the game first. The foundation is individual biomechanics. Each athlete has their own structure. Then there is functional strength, speed, reactivity, and prevention. And everything must be progressive. If you can't measure improvement, you're guessing.”

Djokovic has amazed many with his impeccable fitness, sparking hefty endurance on the court and a peak physical condition matched by very few. When asked for the type of athlete you need to compete on tour, Panichi said: "You need a fluid athlete . Tennis is a constant transition between defence, neutrality, and attack. The winner isn't the most muscular player, but the one who can move best in space."

As the sport continues to grow, more technological methods are being introduced, bringing the game to new heights. While this is beneficial for improvement of a player, Panichi explained that beforehand you need something to build from. "First build the athlete, then build the tennis player. It's useful: sensors, movement analysis, software to monitor recovery. But it must remain a tool. It can't replace the coach," he summarised.

Djokovic concluded his 2025 campaign in Athens, opting not to compete in the ATP Finals despite being the third player to qualify for the event behind Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Currently the world number four, Novak Djokovic is set to be a challenger for the Australian Open coming up in January. Last year's event was the only time in 2025 where he defeated one of the big two, overcoming Alcaraz in the quarter-final before retiring against Alexander Zverev a round later.