Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs worried Novak Djokovic is losing battle with 'Father Time' after Australian Open injury

Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs recently gave her thoughts on Novak Djokovic's injury at the 2025 Australian Open. The Aussie believes that 'Father Time' remains unrivaled as the Serb has considerably slowed down over the last few years.

Djokovic picked up an inopportune right leg injury during his last-eight win over Carlos Alcaraz in Melbourne, which forced him to retire after the first set of his semifinal bout against Alexander Zverev. The 24-time Major winner has since revealed the extent of his injury and will likely be out of action for some time.

Against that background, Serena Williams' ex-coach, Rennae Stubbs, expressed her views on the Serb's attempts to prolong his top-flight career. The former pro-turned-analyst maintained that the 10-time Australian Open champion couldn't beat 'Father Time' at 37 while also talking about how his quarterfinal against Alcaraz in Melbourne influenced his physical conditioning.

"You've been banging on about, at a certain age, your body just can't take it. I just feel like Father Time is kind of catching up with him. Look at how many injuries he's had over the last few years," Rennae Stubbs said on the latest episode of the Rennae Stubbs podcast [from 5:22 onwards]. "It just is what it is and it's such a physical game. I mean look at the physicality of that match. That was the best man's match by far."

Novak Djokovic started his 2025 season with a quarterfinal exit at the Brisbane International earlier this month. He went one better at the Australian Open, reaching the semifinals of the tournament for the 12th time in his career.

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Serena Williams' ex-coach predicts Novak Djokovic will be on the sidelines for at least two month

Novak Djokovic reacts after exiting Australian Open SFs due to injury (Source: Getty)

During the interaction, Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs said that Novak Djokovic will likely not play on the ATP Tour for a minimum of two months considering how serious his injury is.

"I would say two months minimally. I don't think he'll come back [soon] but then again, he'll get back in his hyperbaric chamber," Rennae Stubbs said [10:36].

ESPN broadcaster Chris Fowler, meanwhile, recently claimed in his report that Djokovic had suffered a "deep tear" in his right hamstring. He also forecasted the 24-time Major winner to be out for two months.

“That’s no joke, that’s a pretty deep tear. That’s in the deepest part of the hamstring and the hamstring is a problem because it’s a big muscle," Chris Fowler reported (via Forbes). "You can’t rush a hamstring, you’ve got to be very sure before going back out there. Typically if you’re looking at injuries like that in sports, you’re looking at a couple months.”

If Stubbs and Fowler's comments are anything to go by, the Serb will likely make his tour-level comeback somewhere during the European clay season.