Former American tennis pro Steve Johnson shed light on why Novak Djokovic prioritizes Grand Slam tournaments over other events. Following his campaign at the 2025 Australian Open, the Serb wasted no time and headed straight to Doha for the Qatar Open.

Djokovic kicked off his campaign there on February 18, with a tough first-round match against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini. After an intense battle lasting an hour and 34 minutes, he fell in straight sets.

On the 38th episode of the Nothing Major podcast, which aired on February 25, former American tennis star Steve Johnson shared his thoughts on Novak Djokovic’s plans to continue his career. Johnson discussed Djokovic’s future in the sport and what to expect from the Serbian champion in the coming days.

He said:

“I’m not sure what Novak’s plan is going forward. Obviously, nobody knows it but him. I don’t know why he is playing this tournament, just in general.”

He added that Djokovic is primarily focused on winning Grand Slams, aiming to reach at least 25 major titles before retiring to cement his “legacy.”

“It feels as if he just wants to win slams, just to continue to further his legacy and his stamp as the greatest champion of the sport that we’ve ever seen,” he added.

The American also pointed out the “financial obligations” involved, suggesting that Djokovic’s participation in the ATP 500 tournament in Qatar might be linked to his role as a brand ambassador for Qatar Airways, saying:

“There’s obviously financial obligations, maybe commitments that he has made in the past. We don’t know exactly what it takes for him to play these types of events.”

Johnson also found it “interesting” that the Serb was playing in these tournaments instead of focusing on the Grand Slams and ATP 1000 events.

“It just feels as if he is not as motivated to win Dubai or Doha than he is to win a Slam, which is rightfully so, because that’s the only thing that can further his legacy. So, you know it’s good to see him out there playing. I thought we weren’t going to see him till Indian Wells, maybe, and then you know just play some of the Master Series, try and gear up, win the French, win Wimby, like those types of events….So, it’s just interesting to watch Novak in these events because the Doha title is not going to further his legacy.”

Novak Djokovic expected to compete at Indian Wells Masters next

After his shocking exit at the Qatar Open, Novak Djokovic is set to compete in the BNP Paribas Open, better known as the Indian Wells Open. The ATP Masters 1000 hardcourt tournament will take place from March 2 to March 16, 2025.

The official Instagram handle of the tournament handle also shared the official news of Djokovic’s playing on their official Instagram page on February 23. With the caption:

“A legend returns to the desert 🙌 @djokernole | #TennisParadise”

It will be interesting to see how the 24-time Grand Slam champion performs in the tournament, especially after recently struggling with a leg injury following the Australian Open. Last year’s Indian Wells Masters wasn’t ideal for him, as he suffered a three-set defeat to Italy’s Luca Nardi in the Round of 32.