Novak Djokovic has made an emotional start to his clay-court season at the Monte Carlo Masters, drawing strength from the presence of his younger brother Marko in his coaching box.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion and world number five revealed that Marko’s support has been “on a different level emotionally” as he gears up for his pursuit of a historic 100th ATP singles title.
The Serbian tennis maestro is competing without his regular coach Andy Murray, who is set to return for the Madrid Open later this month. Djokovic explained, “It was never part of the agreement to work with Andy this week, so having my brother here has been very special.”
Djokovic has faced recent challenges, including a viral infection that hampered his Miami Open final performance against teenage sensation Jakub Mensik.
Despite the setback, the 37-year-old rediscovered his joy on the court and aims to carry that momentum into Monte Carlo, where he holds a third seed and a first-round bye.
The tournament is shaping up to be a star-studded affair, featuring rising stars like Carlos Alcaraz alongside seasoned veterans such as Stan Wawrinka.
Alcaraz, the world number three, enters the clay season with a fresh mindset after acknowledging the pressures of potentially replacing the suspended Jannik Sinner as world number one.
