From ATP 250 to Slam 25? Novak Djokovic hopes “a family affair” in Geneva does just that

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GENEVA—“How many seats?” Novak Djokovic asked an organizer at the Gonet Geneva Open about the tournament’s center court capacity on Tuesday, before hearing 2,000 was the magic number.

“Not enough,” joked the man of the hour.

The opportunity to surround himself with extended loved ones factored into Djokovic’s decision to add the ATP 250 event to his schedule ahead of Roland Garros. The Serbian has an uncle who works in Switzerland, and a cousin that gave birth to a baby he’s yet to meet. His parents, along with wife Jelena, son Stefan and daughter Tara, are traveling in, too.

“We're still negotiating with the organizers to take like half of the stadium for my family for the match,” a relaxed Djokovic told press inside a packed tent. “I grew up with them and they are very dear and important to me.

“It's gonna be like a family affair.”

I still continue to have support of the closest people in my life, which is the most meaningful thing to me. Without that, I wouldn't be probably able to keep the balance. Novak Djokovic

Last week, the current world No. 6 was in Belgrade for the unveiling of a special project his sponsor Lacoste partnered on with Novak Djokovic Foundation. The two organizations introduced an extraordinary “Novak Djokovic Court,” commemorating the hero to so many.

Gracing the sides of the doubles alleys are two lines of text: one reads Novak the GOAT, next to an action silhouette of Djokovic, and opposite features Novak the Croc to pair with Lacoste’s trademark logo. A giant portrait of Nole fist-pumping bleeds into an adjacent multi-purpose basketball and volleyball court that documents his 24 title runs across the four Grand Slam host cities.

The location couldn’t be more fitting, for the facility sits next to the Djokovic foundation’s headquarters and pays homage to its namesake’s tennis roots. The end goal of the complex's opening aligns with Djokovic’s ongoing mission to encourage future generations to fully embrace an active lifestyle, and follows in the footsteps of similar Lacoste initiatives that included collaborations with Gustavo Kuerten and Daniil Medvedev.

“Those are the some of the courts in which I grew up playing junior tournaments. It was a great job done by creative artists and something that was very close to my heart, obviously,” Djokovic reflected with TENNIS.com. “It's a way of giving back to the community, contributing to better and more exciting access to public courts.

“I always have been and I always will be a proponent of outdoor activities. Trying to get young children and young people out on the courts, sports facilities, fields, trying to engage in as many outdoor activities as possible. There's no better, healthier environment or development for them to do so.”

It's a different chapter of my life that I'm trying to navigate myself through. I'm not particularly used to having this kind of circumstance where I would lose consecutive matches (in) first rounds and so forth. I don't think it ever happened for me in like the last 20 years. But I knew that eventually that moment will come. Novak Djokovic

While Djokovic was in his hometown, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were respectively making their way through to an eventual Internazionali BNL d'Italia final showdown. A six-time champion in Rome, Djokovic opted out of playing the ATP Masters 1000 event. The announcement that he and Andy Murray had parted ways as player-coach followed shortly after that withdrawal.

The cooperation between Djokovic and Murray was never on the table as a long-term play, as Djokovic reminds. His respect for the two-time Olympic gold medalist only grew from their experience together, with Djokovic singling out Murray’s “brilliant tennis IQ.” The timing simply came down to both sides agreeing nothing more could be gained from that dynamic.

Dusan Vemic and Boris Bosnjakovic will share coaching duties for now in Geneva and Paris. Set to turn 38 on Thursday, Djokovic is in “no rush” to look beyond those events for what comes next on the team front as he crosses unfamiliar territory. He’s dropped three consecutive matches since reaching the Miami Open final, including both previous clay-court appearances in Monte Carlo and Madrid.

The holder of 99 ATP-level titles recognizes a time comes for every elite athlete—even the GOATs—to reach a stage of insecurity on their respective playing field. It’s a fact that’s better to acknowledge than fight, and to approach like any challenge that requires persistent trial and error.

“I have to accept that my level is maybe not as consistent as it was—not maybe—it is not,” he stated. “And I know that, but at the same time, I know which tournaments I prioritize and where I want to come out as the best performer in terms of what I have. That’s where I stand.

“It's a different chapter of my life that I'm trying to navigate myself through. I'm not particularly used to having this kind of circumstance where I would lose consecutive matches (in) first rounds and so forth. I don't think it ever happened for me in like the last 20 years. But I knew that eventually that moment will come.

“Of course, I'm very pleased and proud of my entire career, but I still have a desire to reach the greatest heights, to win Slams and to be one of the best players in the world. That’s why I'm here, that's why I'm playing Geneva.”

Seeded second behind fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz, Djokovic faces Marton Fucsovics in his opening match Wednesday evening. Revenge opportunities potentially await against his Madrid conqueror, Matteo Arrnaldi, and third seed Tomas Machac, who won their Geneva semifinal last year.

With his family set to pack the stands, Djokovic will be energized to begin a fresh streak of momentum ahead of launching another bid for major title No. 25 in the French capital.

“I still continue to have support of the closest people in my life, which is the most meaningful thing to me. Without that, I wouldn't be probably able to keep the balance,” said Djokovic.

“I know what it takes to be a Grand Slam champion. I know what it takes to be at the top of the game. It’s a big commitment, a big dedication and it’s not as smooth and easy for me as it was 10 years ago. My life has changed a lot, but for better, to be honest. It's just a new chapter that I'm embracing. I'm still connected to tennis and still want to express myself on the court.”