As the hubbub of the early rounds of the 2025 Australian Open subsides, Tennis consultant Gill Gross has raised questions with a harsh assessment of Novak Djokovic’s current form. On the eve of the Serb’s highly anticipated third-round face-off against Tomas Machac, scheduled for January 17, Gross said Djokovic must significantly improve his game to compete with Machac, especially given his inconsistent performances in the first two rounds.
Speaking candidly on the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast, Gross highlighted moments where Djokovic looked vulnerable, noting that he was “dominated” during certain phases of his opening match against American Nishesh Basavareddy, where the 18-year-old won the first set 6-4. Although Djokovic managed to find his rhythm and secure the victory, his second-round clash was also tumultuous, forcing him to struggle in a four-set bout against Jaime Faria, where he lost momentum after a promising start.
Read more:
Sabalenka en route to third straight Australian Open title
“Djokovic showed flashes of brilliance, but there were portions in both matches where he was dominated, and that is understandable. However, he needs to raise his level of play against Machac, who is currently ranked ninth in the Tennis Abstract Elo system Machac has recently faced some of the best players, including Alcaraz and Casper Ruud,” Gross said during the podcast. (at 30:00)
Gross further strengthened his prediction, saying Machac has the potential to pull off an upset against the 24-time Grand Slam champion. “Machac may not have won all of his recent matches against top talent, but every time he has faced a top player, he has proven that he can compete at this level. I “I had already seen him as a potential winner before the start of the tournament, and nothing I have observed in Djokovic so far has convinced me to change my mind,” he remarked.
-
Read more:
Aryna Sabalenka overcomes tough match to reach fourth round of Australian Open
Machac, buoyed by positive momentum after overcoming the powerful Reilly Opelka in the previous round, expressed his impatience at the idea of facing Djokovic. “I’m really looking forward to this match. Our head-to-head is tied 1-1, and I’m looking forward to this fight. Confidence is key. You can’t take the court against these top players level without that,” he noted in a recent interview with Sportskeeda.
The Czech player’s first clash against Djokovic took place at the 2023 Dubai Tennis Championships, where Djokovic triumphed in a hard-fought match. However, Machac avenged that defeat by beating the former world number one in the semi-finals of the 2024 Geneva Open, leveling their mutual record.
Related News :