Novak Djokovic is ready to return to tennis, aiming to achieve success at the Shanghai Masters. The famous tennis player will compete at this tournament together with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. His return surprised many, so there are already speculations and different reactions.
Nick Kyrgios' former coach, Simon Rea, shared his thoughts on Djokovic's performance in Shanghai. Rea is particularly interested in seeing how Novak will play and how good he will be in this tournament, given that many did not expect his arrival.
Regarding his success in the tournament, Rea believes that Novak could reach the semifinals; an opinion shared by fans as well as most experts and analysts.
“Novak’s off to Shanghai, we know we’ve seen him on a reduced schedule in 2025, we haven’t seen a lot of activity from him outside of the Grand Slams, certainly in recent times, so looking forward to seeing the brand of tennis that he brings to the court there,” he said, as quoted by Tennis Gazette.
“In terms of what does success look like for Novak in Shanghai? I think semifinals or better is par."
The best-of-3 format
The famous coach believes that the 38-year-old Serbian would have an easier job in the Best-of-three format than in the Best-of-5. His age is a serious barrier, so playing shorter matches is a much easier job for him.
When facing younger opponents at their peak, like Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, it is clear that the chances of victory are not great, especially when we look at the stamina of the Spaniard and the Italian.
“I referenced semifinals, because if you forecast forwards to that, what happens at that point in time at a best-of-three event, you have more petrol in the tank,” he said.
“You haven’t spent so many of your tickets in getting there, you have more energy, more reserves to call upon in those moments where you really need them up against your [Jannik] Sinner’s and your [Carlos] Alcaraz’s at the business end of those tournaments."
