“You can never write him off, I would never do that.” That’s what Goran Ivanisevic, the ex-coach of Novak Djokovic, said about the 24-time Grand Slam champion. The Serbian has time and again proved his GOAT status just when everyone starts questioning his will to win. This year’s Olympics victory is a clear proof of his unrivaled aura. Despite persistent injuries, he defied criticism and claimed his first-ever Gold medal. While the overall season hasn’t turned out as expected for the former World No.1, an ex-American player and tennis legend believes Djoker’s still got the winning “shots” ahead of the next season.

In a post on X, dated December 13, Serena Williams’ childhood coach and former player Rick Macci hailed Novak. He mentioned that despite his age and constant injuries, Djokovic is still capable of earning emphatics wins. “The best part of his game heading into 2025 is his goat pedigree. That alone wins games,” he wrote. Adding further, he revealed that “Anybody who plays him knows they have a shot but even at age 38 the Serbian Snipers Racquet fires more shots. @DjokerNole”

For the unversed, Novak had decided to skip several ATP events following the Olympics. The main reason was his injuries. He pulled his name from the Rolex Paris Masters in October. Then he shocked the community by withdrawing from the ATP Finals in Turin last month. And it was when he had successfully qualified in the season finale where he was going to be a defending champion. But there’s a reason why he’s called a GOAT. He knows he can clinch a title whenever he’s back to the court. He made it evident in an update ahead of the next season.

“Tennis is still my focus! I am going at full throttle in the off-season. We go for another ride. I just needed to recharge and refresh a bit after an exhausting year,” he said, as reported by Tennis Majors last month. He cleared that he wants to make it big in the first Major of 2025. “I am going to play in the first week of the season. I am just not sure yet where. Then, of course, the Australian Open,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Rick Macci isn’t the only one who’s heaping praise of Novak’s winning abilities. Even former WTA pro Tracy Austin believes the same about the Serbian.

Tracy Austin backs Novak Djokovic ahead of the next season

When Novak withdrew his name from the ATP Finals due to an ongoing injury, the news attracted various reactions. Among them was also ex-American player Tracy Austin. Expressing her thoughts, she said, “I just think with his knee, he had that kind of emergency knee surgery, between the French and Wimbledon, and has come back playing the sleeve on the knee since then, has said that he’s not playing the ATP Tour Finals.”

She tried to imply that Novak may have decided to skip the ATP Finals to have a speedy recovery. She also commended Novak’s determination and his never-say-die attitude. She was shocked to see how well he plays even when nearing 40. And that his movement on the court is on par with young guns like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Showing a lot of confidence in Novak for the next season, Tracy said that he can win his 25th slam in January in case he recovers in time. “I mean, Australia would be the one, I think, that he would take if it was possible,” she said. “You could see, you could see it at the Australian,” she concluded.

In his career, Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open 10 times already. Earlier this year, he succeeded in reaching the SF round of the event. However, he couldn’t get past Italy’s Jannik Sinner who beat him 6-1, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3. This time, however, Djoker would like to add the 11th Australian Open trophy in his cabinet. Do you think he will make it happen? Let us know in the comments below.