"Reconstruct my machine" - The high-tech device Novak Djokovic utilises to keep pace with Alcaraz and Sinner

Novak Djokovic is still motivated to be the best in tennis despite all the accolades he has achieved. After coming out of a second consecutive season without tasting major success, he is utilising interesting methods to get him in prime condition ahead of the 2026 campaign.

The Serbian has not stepped out on court since triumphing in the Hellenic Championship, his home event. He proved that despite being 38-years-old he can still win titles in the sport, fending off Lorenzo Musetti in Athens. He opted not to compete in the ATP Finals due to an ongoing shoulder injury. It keeps within the pattern of him not competing at many events throughout the year, regularly skipping multiple big events to keep his freshness high and save him for the Grand Slams.

While the hunt for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam is still well and truly on, it is looking less realistic for Djokovic with the more time that passes. As well as that, the dominant forces that are Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have swept up the prior eight major titles between them. This is while Djokovic has only made one final, a disappointing record for such a decorated athlete.

Djokovic is not giving up with his ambitions of challenging the current front runners in the sport. He has already achieved feats that had seemed impossible and unrealistic, but that is not stopping him form trying to once again break the barriers and records. For this, Djokovic has opted to focus on his body to prevent more injuries from occurring.

"I’m taking a short break and trying to reconstruct my machine, so to say, in racing terminology," he told Sky Sports when attending the Qatar Grand Prix. "I’ve been getting injured more often than not in the last 18 months, so I’m trying to rebuild my body so the start of the next season will be great and, hopefully, I can keep it up with the best guys.”

He has been completing this by using a Regenesis recovery pod. “It is a multi-sensory wellness capsule pod that resets your batteries in the shortest amount of time, which is eight minutes,” he explained.

Fitness and recovery is something Djokovic prioritises heavily, and it has aided him to this day. A large reason why he is still able to step out onto the court at the age of 38 and put in the performances he has done is to keep his body in top condition, with the Regenesis pod a factor. He started using it back in 2010, buying one for personal use for $75,000.

There is no better place for Djokovic to challenge the top players than at the Australian Open. It is an event that he has come out on top of 10 times, a record in men's tennis. It was also the scene of his first Grand Slam title all the way back in 2008. Despite this, he has failed to make the final since 2023. Back-to-back semi-final appearances has ended in defeat.

A positive did come out of last year's event: picking up a victory over Alcaraz. It was the only time he managed to defeat one of the top two, summing up their domination on the ATP Circuit. He will not meet either of them until possibly the semi-finals. It seems that he still has the measure over the rest of the tour, proved with his four major last-four appearances last year. If he can navigate his way past the big two, then Grand Slam 25 is still very much on the cards, a testament to his preparation and focus on fitness and recovery.