Novak Djokovic not bothered by shock Qatar Open loss as his goals lie elsewhere, claims former WTA pro

Former WTA pro Laura Robson believed Novak Djokovic wasn’t too concerned about his surprising first-round exit at the Qatar Open. According to her, his focus is elsewhere.

Djokovic, the third seed at the Qatar Open in Doha, was unexpectedly knocked out in the opening round by unseeded Italian Matteo Berrettini, losing 6-7(4), 2-6.

In an exclusive interview with Eurosport on February 19, Robson who also serves as the tournament director of the Nottingham Open in 2023 and 2024 weighed in on Djokovic’s disappointing return to competition. She believes that the Serb is more focused on winning his 25th Grand Slam title than dwelling on his loss at the ATP 500 event.

She said:

"I don't know that he'll take much time to get over this one. So I imagine he's spoken about it in the past, that he really wants to focus on the fact that he wants to get to 25, and that's the big goal for this year rather than a small ATP event in the Middle East."

The Brit also highlighted a key positive in Djokovic’s return—he is feeling healthy despite his last defeat in the Australian Open semifinals. This came after he delivered his best performance in the quarterfinals, where he defeated Carlos Alcaraz.

"I think that's the main positive for Novak, the fact that he's feeling healthy on the court, again," Robson said.

She added:

"The way that he finished in Australia. I'm sure it would have been tough for him to reset because he was playing some of his best tennis against Alcaraz, and then a couple of days later, it doesn't go his way."

Robson also said she didn’t think the first-round defeat in Doha would have any impact on the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

"So just at his age, to be able to rebound as quickly as he has, I think is a huge positive sign. I don't know that he is overly bothered about losing early in Doha when you consider all the tournaments that he's won and all his accolades in his career,” Robson said.

Novak has a chance to win his 25th Grand Slam at French Open 2025

2025 Australian Open - Day 4 - Source: Getty

After an early exit from the Qatar Open, Novak Djokovic is expected to compete in the ATP Tour Masters 1000 event at the 2025 Indian Wells Open, starting on March 2. His name was missing from the entry list for the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships, suggesting he'll skip that tournament. Indian Wells is one of his favorite events, having won the title five times. The Miami Open comes after that.

Then, Djokovic is expected to compete in the Monte Carlo Masters, an ATP Masters 1000 tournament on outdoor clay courts, starting April 7.

Starting May 8, the Serb is expected to compete in the Italian Open for the 19th time, having won the tournament six times. Meanwhile, the Madrid Open, which takes place before Rome, is another prestigious event he has skipped for the past four years. Although he might participate in the tournament in Madrid, Djokovic is more likely to go straight to the Italian capital.

The three-time French Open champion is determined to claim his fourth title at Roland Garros while also adding another Grand Slam to his impressive tally of 24. The tournament is set to take place from May 25 to June 8.