It’s been a tough year so far for Novak Djokovic, hasn’t it? He started 2025 with high hopes, reaching the quarterfinals in Brisbane and the semis at the Australian Open. But those elusive 100th title and 25th Grand Slam still remain out of reach. First, Reily Opelka stopped him in Brisbane, and then a hamstring injury forced a heartbreaking withdrawal from the AO semifinal. Concerns lingered about his recovery, but Nole returned to the Middle East swing, only to face a quick exit in Qatar. The Sunshine Double was a mixed bag too – an early exit at Indian Wells followed by a defeat against Jakub Mensik in the Miami final. And now, it seems the Monte Carlo Masters might bring more of the same!

Monte Carlo is a place with good memories for Nole, as he clinched titles here back in 2015 and 2017. You could almost feel the nostalgia in the air ahead of this year’s tournament. But then came the rumours– would he even play? As it turned out, it was touch-and-go! “It [MC participation] was [in doubt]. Particularly because of the infection of the eye and a little bit of a viral infection I’ve been dealing with last week, but it seems to be okay these days. I mean, not ideal,” Djoko was quoted as saying by TNT Sports, 

Was this an issue all along? The 37-year-old was seen using eye drops during the changeover in the Miami Open final before he ultimately fell to the 19-year-old Mensik. The world No. 5 further elaborated, “Well, the eye, yes. Unfortunately, it started on the semi-finals day in Miami, and so I did struggle with it in the finals. But it’s calming down, I guess. I mean, I’m visiting the doctor later today, so let’s see. Should be okay for the first round here. Let’s see if I can carry that onto clay.”

Novak has received a bye directly into the second round in Monte-Carlo, where he will face Alejandro Tabilo. But with the eye infection still bothering him, his expectations at this year’s clay-court swing aren’t looking up. “It’s obviously a completely different surface and I didn’t have much time to get used to this tournament, so my expectations are not really high for the results here,” he admitted.

Looking back, Novak Djokovic has a pretty impressive clay-court pedigree, though it’s fair to say hard courts have been his absolute kingdom, where he has clinched over 70 titles. Still, he’s snagged a solid 20 singles titles on the red dirt throughout his career. But Monte Carlo isn’t just any tournament for the Serb. It’s his grand re-entry to the clay court scene since he clinched the Olympic gold in Paris last summer!

Not to mention that it seems like his coach, Andy Murray, will be absent from this tournament! But where is he? That’s a question even Novak doesn’t seem to have an answer to.

Novak is clueless about Murray’s whereabouts ahead of the Monte Carlo Masters

As his Monte Carlo preparations kicked off with an intense training session alongside Carlos Alcaraz, setting the stage for a thrilling tournament, it appeared that Djokovic’s team had undergone a change. Instead of Andy Murray, Nole was seen with his brother Marko, who was stepping in as coach in the absence of the former British no. 1.

When asked about Murray’s whereabouts, Djokovic was candid in his pre-tournament press conference: “I have no idea, to be honest. I spoke to him about four or five days ago, and he was back home. Occupied with family, and I guess he’s working on his golf swing because that’s his priority this week.”

Marko, Djokovic’s brother, is a former player himself! This brings back memories of their doubles adventure at the 2019 Monte Carlo Masters as well. Djoker noted, “My brother Marko was able to join me, so that helps me on a different level emotionally. To have some time with him on the road, I don’t get to see him much, it’s great for me.”

However, with his eye infection looming, will Novak exceed expectations and get his hands on his 100th title? Share your thoughts in the comments below.