"Novak Djokovic unusually in support role" - 2x Australian Open doubles champ gives his verdict on Nick Kyrgios & Serb's Brisbane opener

Novak Djokovic played his first official competitive tennis match in 2024 and it proved to be a victorious endeavor. It was not a singles match but actually a doubles match with none other than Nick Kyrgios. The duo famously agreed to play doubles at the Brisbane event and they didn't disappoint.

Dominating on both first and second serves with only a minor slip-up in the second-set tiebreak, Djokovic and Kyrgios were able to edge out Alexander Erler and Andreas Mies to secure the win 6-4, 6-7(4), 10-8. One of those who paid close attention to the match was former player Paul McNamee, a 2-time Australian Open doubles champion, who has been a huge fan of Djokovic for most of his career.

The Australian has defended Djokovic more than once in the past, even when everybody was seemingly against the Serbian. After his first match in 2024, McNamee dropped on X his thoughts, acknowleding that it was surprising to see Djokovic in a mostly supporting role, though he lauded both for a well-contested doubles match. He posted:

"Well that was an impressive doubles played by Nick Kyrgios after 18 months out. Backed up by Novak Djokovic, unusually in a support role, his showmanship & skills were on display … well played guys."

This match was hugely important for both Kyrgios and Djokovic, as both need a good start to the new season to gain some confidence. Kyrgios has been away from the sport for over a year and needs matches any way he can get them, while Djokovic is looking to bounce back after a lacklustre 2024 season.

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Djokovic's 2025 ambitions

There has been a lot of chatter in tennis circles about how 2025 might be the final year of Novak Djokovic's career. While the Serbian never admitted to that or even alluded to that, there have been hints pointing to the fact that retirement isn't something he's outright dismissing anymore.

It's a possibility, though one of many for Djokovic. He spoke about his outlook on the upcoming season ahead of his official return in Brisbane, acknowledging that he's looking to play more tennis this year compared to last year. He said (via tennis365.com):

“I’m looking to play more tournaments this year than I played last season, so hopefully also my level is going to go up. Hopefully I will win a few more tournaments and my ranking will go up to where it should be."

When it comes to how long he'll keep playing, that's something that's not certain as well. He feels as if he can play for many more years, but ultimately, motivation will end up deciding how long he wants to keep playing.