Serbian tennis professional Novak Djokovic shares a seven-word message after a shock defeat in the 2025 Brisbane International.
Days before the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2025 season, Djokovic suffered an unexpected defeat to Reilly Opelka at the Brisbane International on Friday, January 3, 2025.
24-time Grand Slam winner who will team up with former tennis star and British No. 1 Andy Murray as a new coach later this month knocked out of the outdoor hardcourts tournament quarterfinals after losing to world 293rd.
After the match, world No. 7 took to his Instagram story to praise the American tennis player and wished him well.
The 37-year-old shared a picture from the match with Opelka in which the two can be seen shaking hands and wrote, “Amazing tennis, Reilly. Absolutely deserved. Good luck.”
Moreover, Opelka also praised the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medallist during the post-match interview, saying, “I watched Novak become the greatest... He’s the greatest player the sport has ever seen. It’s difficult being in his position,” Opelka added. “He can scout me or other opponents all day long… the reality is we have nothing to lose against him.”
The 27-year-old will now face French tennis player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the semifinals on Saturday, January 4, 2025, while Djokovic will prepare for the Australian Open set to kick off on January 12, 2025.
