“I didn’t think we were going to see Novak,” Andy Roddick said on his podcast last month, marveling at Novak Djokovic’s resilience after his comeback at the Qatar Open only weeks after a muscle tear at AO. The Serbian’s Middle East swing, however, ended in disappointment with a straight-set loss to Italian Matteo Berrettini in Qatar. It was followed by an early Indian Wells exit as well. But the Serb maestro showed signs of returning to form in Miami, where his campaign eventually ended in a heartbreaking loss against the 19-year-old Czech prodigy, Jakub Mensik. While many believe Djokovic’s best days are well and truly past him, Roddick is trying to put Nole’s situation into perspective by likening his own battles with Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi in their twilight years.

Djokovic spectacularly rediscovered his form at the Miami Open, storming into the final without dropping a set. However, his pursuit of a historic 100th title was halted by Mensik in two razor-thin tie-breaks. After early exits in Qatar and Indian Wells, Djokovic thrived on the faster courts of Hard Rock Stadium.

As Nole approaches his 38th birthday, Andy Roddick believes Djokovic’s Miami performance proves he is still capable of securing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title. The ex-American pro compared Djokovic’s current battle for dominance to the struggles of legends Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.

Speaking on his “Served with Andy Roddick” podcast recently, Roddick said, “Some of the best tennis memories I have in my entire career are going out and playing Andre [Agassi] the first time looking across the court in Miami playing Pete Sampras and just having to like check myself because I check over and he is doing the things of the eye brows and doing the shirt the way he is like all the mannerism that I copied and what kind of imitate and I am looking across the court and seeing him and cool moments. Show the longer the moment Novak stays out there one it’s just great because he is the most accomplished player of all time.”

Both Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras bid farewell to professional tennis at different stages: Agassi at 36 in 2006 and Sampras at 31 in 2002. Yet, even in their twilight years, their battles with a young, hard-hitting American, Andy Roddick, were nothing short of captivating. Against Agassi, Roddick had a tough record, trailing 5-1 in their H2H encounters. Their last clash at the ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati Open SF saw Agassi edge past Roddick in a scintillating three-set thriller, 7-5, 6-7(2), 7-6(2). On the other hand, against Sampras, Roddick held a slight 2-1 advantage in their professional battle. However, even in the final chapter of his career, Sampras proved his greatness, dismantling Roddick in straight sets at the 2002 US Open QF before retiring as a GS champion.

Drawing a parallel between these two American icons and Novak Djokovic at this stage of his career makes perfect sense. With the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and even the German Alexander Zverev entering every GS as top favorites, Djokovic’s path to a record-breaking 25th major remains challenging. Yet, as history has shown, great champions always find a way. 

“Good enough to win a major” —Andy Roddick shared his views on Novak’s hunt for the 25th Grand Slam

The 2025 season has been a challenging year for Novak Djokovic, with 3 consecutive losses before finding his rhythm in Miami, where he reached the final without dropping a set. Despite falling short at Wimbledon 2024 and facing injury setbacks, the Serb remains a GS contender. Though he hasn’t won a major since the 2023 US Open, Roddick believes Djokovic’s quest for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam could still be realized this year.

“He can still win a major, especially when the surface is giving him some love, like it was in Miami. Where the ball is getting through the court, where he doesn’t have to protect the sidelines as much, and doesn’t have to play as much defence. What Novak is doing is just crazy. I didn’t think we would see this much of him this year,” Roddick said.

The former US Open champion continued, “He stayed in the States for a month to play Indian Wells and Miami. Is the product he is putting out there good enough to win a major? Yes, it is. Will it happen? I don’t know. You talked about Roland Garros, three out of five [sets]. This guy did win the Olympics there a few months ago.”

Novak Djokovic will now feature in the Monte-Carlo Masters starting from 6th April. Can he conquer Monaco this time and build momentum for his 25th Grand Slam at Roland Garros? Share your thoughts in the comments below.