‘I worry the motivation is gone’ – Novak Djokovic given concerning verdict after Madrid Open upset

Ewan West 27 Apr 2025 9:46 AM

Novak Djokovic leaves the court at the Madrid Open

Novak Djokovic leaves the court after his defeat

Six-time Grand Slam doubles champion Rennae Stubbs has expressed her concern that Novak Djokovic has lost his motivation after the Serb’s early exit at the 2025 Madrid Open.

Djokovic was beaten 6-3, 6-4 by world No 44 Matteo Arnaldi in his opening match at the clay-court Masters 1000 tournament.

This was Djokovic’s third consecutive defeat after he fell in his opening match at the Monte Carlo Masters to Alejandro Tabilo and lost to Jakub Mensik in the Miami Open final.

The world No 5 now holds a 12-7 record in 2025 and, concerningly, he has lost his opening match at four of his last five tournaments.

This run started with a first round defeat to Matteo Berrettini at the Qatar Open, while Djokovic also fell to Botic van de Zandschulp in his Indian Wells opener.

The legendary Serbian will next feature at the Italian Open, where he will aim to build some confidence before his next attempt to win a record-extending 25th major at the French Open.

The 37-year-old is also seeking a 100th ATP singles title, with his Olympic gold medal triumph at the Paris Olympics in August 2024 his most recent tournament win.

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In a post on X, Stubbs — who coached Serena Williams — assessed Djokovic’s erratic display in Madrid and claimed the tennis legend has “hit a wall.”

“The worry index continues for Novak,” wrote the former doubles world No 1. “He’s making way too many unforced errors (32 today) and NOT locking down in the biggest moments.

“Guys are not intimidated anymore because of that and that’s the biggest key for these players, they see/feel it.

“When you lose your aura, and in turn are NOT locking down and making these guys suffer, like double faulting two times in a row to drop serve in the first set. You would never see that from Nole at his best.

“How do you get that confidence back? You have to win and I worry the motivation is gone.

“At some point in an athlete’s professional life, you hit a wall, age, stress, travel, family life, packing bags, flights, customs, hours on court, in the gym, it gets harder and harder.

“Your motivation starts to wain and you stop wanting to push through those tough barriers to get the results.”