Novak Djokovic has spent much of 2026 battling mysterious physical issues that sapped him of his wolf in winter energy as he struggled at the sports’ biggest events, but the Grand Slam king says he is finally getting closer to understanding what has been ailing him.
Speaking ahead of the Paris Masters, where he is a seven-time champion, Djokovic revealed that his physical struggles have been a major obstacle across the 2026 season, forcing him to prioritize his health over his tennis.
“This year the kind of focus shifted on feeling well on the court rather than playing well, to be honest, because for most of the tournaments that I played, I didn’t play many, it was health-wise a big struggle,” Djokovic told reporters. “Physically, you know, just struggled a lot.”
The Serbian’s difficulties have been evident throughout the season, particularly in big matches. At Roland Garros, he squandered a two-set lead against Joao Fonseca in the third round, losing from two sets to love up for the first time since 2010.
The fatigue was more extreme this summer, at Cincinnati and the US Open and also reared its ugly head at the China Open, despite the fact that Djokovic was able to pull through and win his 102nd career title and remain – remarkably – undefeated in the Chinese capital.
The good news is that Djokovic believes he and his team are making significant progress toward identifying and resolving the issue.
“Whenever I kind of felt better on the court, and lately that has been the case, we’re really getting closer to solving what I have been going through in the last 12 months,” he said. “Right away my performance level, my enjoyment on the court, my feeling is great, and I play better.”
Djokovic pointed to his performances in Beijing and Basel as evidence of his improving condition.
“Beijing was the best week of the year, other than Australia, and I thought I played pretty well in Basel, as well,” he said.
With what is potentially the final week of the season approaching, Djokovic is hoping that better health will translate into better tennis. He would like to qualify for the ATP Finals, but will need to be in good form in Paris to do so, as he is currently tenth in the Race to Turin standings and over 300 points behind No.8 Rafael Jodar, which means he’ll have to reach at least the semifinals to make it in, barring any potential withdrawals from players above him in the standings.
“Just trying to enjoy the last couple weeks of the season and on the court feeling better primarily,” he said. “And then the performance will come.”
Djokovic will face Valentin Vacherot in his opening match in Paris on Tuesday.
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