The best in the industry: Novak Djokovic turns to Mark Kovacs for guidance as he cites 25th Grand Slam title

Novak Djokiovic is prepared to go the extra mile as he looks to clinch an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title. He is doing everything he can in his preparation for the upcoming Australian Open, with him enrolling Dr. Mark Kovacs to his camp.

At 38-years-old, it is still crazy to believe that Djokovic is competing with the top players in the world, winning titles and going deep into the biggest events the sport has on offer. While it is an impressive feat, he is not the player of a few years ago, regularly winning major titles and going into events as the player to beat. That mantle has been passed over to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. They have split the prior eight Grand Slams between them, with Djokovic making just a solitary final and four consecutive semi-finals in 2025.

As time slowly runs out, he is desperate to continue adding his name to the roll of honour, cementing his name even further in the tennis archives. A big part of his success is the way he has kept his body in pristine condition. His focus and attention on fitness and recovery is leap and bounds ahead of the rest of the field, showcased on the court along with his longevity.

With this in mind, the Serbian has brought in Kovacs to oversee his progress. The Australian is a human performance expert, excelling within this part of tennis. He is one of the most respected people in this field. Tennis has been in Kovacs life for some time. When he moved to the USA, he became an NCAA Champion. He moved into a more fitness and scientific role, meticulously studying the sport and passing his research on. Kovacs is the CEO and co-founder of the International Tennis Performance Association (ITPA) and has more than 50 peer-reviewed studies dedicated to tennis-specific biomechanics. He has had an influence on players such as Sloane Stephens, John Isner and Coco Gauff along with others.

All of this has caught Djokovic's eye, who is looking to capitalise on the knowledge and wisdom of Kovacs. He will keep his attention firmly on Djokovic, averting his gaze to everything he does without a racket in his hand, from physical conditioning, injury prevention, biomechanics, recovery and optimisation of performance on the court.

Djokovic has had longer to prepare for the Australian Open than any of his comrades. After making the executive decision to skip the ATP Finals, he has swiftly turned his attention to the first Grand Slam of the year. It is a place he knows and loves, previously lifting the title on 10 separate occasions, with the last coming back in 2023 after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. After two semi-final runs, Djokovic is hoping to go that next step and regain his winning touch on the big stage. If he can do this, then he will surpass the iconic Margaret Court in Grand Slam titles won. The duo currently sit with 24 a piece, but Djokovic wants the record all to himself.

Similar to a whole host of players, the world number four has began his pre-season training, opting to prepare in Qatar. A whole host of tournaments and exhibitions will be on for players to compete in and fans to enjoy, but these do not appeal to Djokovic. He intends for the major tournament to be his first in 2026. This could lead to a similar pattern from 2025, where he specifically skipped big events to prioritise recovery and fitness ahead of the Grand Slams.

He will not have to wait long to see if the work put in with Kovacs and the rest of his team has paid off. The Australian Open will commence from January 18 - February 1.