Novak Djokovic started preparations for the 2026 season with a change in the team » A famous doctor started collaboration with the Serbian
Article by Mihai Șovei – Published Sunday, December 14, 2025, 10:52 / Updated Sunday, December 14, 2025 10:52
Novak Djokovic's (38-year-old) vacation is over, and the Serbian has returned to training to prepare for the start of the competitions in 2026. The athlete is in Athens, where he began his preparations. He did not register for any tournaments in the first week of the new season, probably wanting to prepare as well as possible for the participation in the first Grand Slam, the Australian Open.
The Serbian started the preparations for the new season in Athens. As soon as the photos from the training appeared in public, the tennis world noticed news in his team. Doctor Mark Kovacs began to collaborate with the athlete.
Djokovic collaborates with a well-known doctor
In Athens, in addition to the already known members of Nole's team, coach and analyst Boris Bosnjakovic, as well as physiotherapist Dalibor Sirola, there is also a new member of Djokovic's technical staff.
This is Dr. Mark Kovacs, one of the leading experts in sports performance, especially in tennis. His specialty is sports science, exercise physiology, physical training and biomechanics. At the heart of his training with top athletes is injury prevention and training optimization.
So Novak is aware that in the coming year he has had more injuries than usual, so he decided to work with one of the leading experts in injury prevention to solve his problem.
Novak Djokovic and Mark Kovacs / photo: X
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Dr. Kovacs is extremely well known for his work in tennis as he has worked with numerous professional athletes helping them develop speed, strength and endurance. He mainly collaborated with American athletes such as John Isner, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys, Taylor Townsend, Sam Querrey, Jack Sock, and was also part of the United States women's tennis team.
He has conducted significant research on service biomechanics, field sprinting and endurance requirements. Kovacs earned his PhD in exercise physiology. He is the author of several books and numerous scientific articles on physical training, recovery and injury prevention.
Djokovic suffered injuries at the Grand Slams, namely at key moments of the most important tournaments of the season: at the Australian Open he was injured in the quarter-finals against Carlos Alcaraz, having to abandon the semi-final against Alexander Zverev, while at Wimbledon he was injured on the match ball in the quarter-finals against the Italian Cobolli, and then played rather poorly in the semi-final against Jannik Sinner.
Novak Djokovic is preparing for the 2026 season / photo: X
