Novak Djokovic’s 2025 campaign has been a rollercoaster! The Serbian legend showed flashes of brilliance, making the semifinals at the AO and battling to the Miami Open final. Yet, beyond those highlights, his season has been riddled with underwhelming results. The European clay court swing has been especially bruising; Djokovic suffered early exits in both Monte-Carlo and Madrid. And with his eyes firmly set on capturing a record-extending 25th GS at Roland Garros, speculation around his form has intensified. Enter Aussie tennis pundit, Rennae Stubbs, whose recent comments on Djokovic stirred controversy. But when backlash brewed, Stubbs stood her ground, boldly shutting down false narratives surrounding her take. Her unapologetic stance lit up the tennis world, proving she’s not one to back down.

A recent social media storm erupted after a media house shared a post quoting Rennae Stubbs, highlighting her comment about Novak Djokovic, suggesting that it’s not easy to win a GS when he’s not regularly winning matches. The quote, pulled from The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, quickly went viral and sparked intense fan reactions. One particular fan took a sharp jab at Stubbs, contrasting her commentary on Djokovic with the reverence often shown toward Rafael Nadal. The fan wrote, “I don’t recall people talking in such dire terms about Rafa. There was always an element of hope and support in their words, out of respect for his accomplishments. Stubbs has always been a hater though, I learned that back in 2000 when she blasted Hingis in the media.”

Not one to let criticism slide without a response, the Australian tennis icon clapped back firmly. Taking issue with the cherry-picked quote and lack of context, Stubbs wrote, “Also, put the ENTIRE context out there. Listen to all of my comments on my podcast. The BS one liners yall pull out are ridiculous! It’s also my job to report on what I see in players and their games. Thanks for listening!!” But what did the Aussie legend actually convey, though?

Rennae Stubbs, who coached the iconic Serena Williams at the 2022 US Open, recently shared her thoughts on Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of a 25th GS. Speaking on “The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast” that aired on 28th April, the Australian drew parallels between Djokovic and Williams, questioning whether the Serb might follow Pete Sampras’ path, retiring after a final GS triumph as he famously ended his career with his 14th Major at the 2002 US Open.

“Serena really wanted 25 (Major titles), but she didn’t get it and does it define her? No. Of course not. She’s still the greatest female player of all time and arguably the greatest player of all time. Novak now is sitting in that same spot, and I think the only thing that drives him is maybe winning one more and I could see him literally doing a Pete Sampras and dropping the mic and being like, I’m done,” Stubbs said. Alternatively, Stubbs proceeded to remind listeners of the considerable challenges currently faced by the Serbian player, given his recent unexpected defeats in 2025.

“But, having said that, it’s not that easy to win a Grand Slam anymore when you’re not even winning f—— matches at regular tournaments in best of three sets against these guys. Come on,” the 54-year-old added. However, this narrative has been misconstrued due to selective reporting by a media outlet, which subsequently generated significant controversy. 

While the Aussie legend voiced her stance, the 24-time GS winner Novak Djokovic also offered an honest assessment of his current form following his Madrid Open loss, acknowledging the challenges he’s facing this season.

“Kind of a new reality for me,” said Novak Djokovic after Madrid Open loss

For the 2nd time this season, Novak Djokovic has endured a troubling streak of three consecutive defeats. After falling to Jakub Mensik in the Miami Open and Alejandro Tabilo in the Monte-Carlo Masters 2nd round, the Serbian legend faced Matteo Arnaldi in Madrid. In their first-ever clash, Arnaldi stunned Djokovic with a 6-3, 6-4 win, marking the Serb’s 7th loss of the year. Following the match, Djokovic admitted, he is adjusting to a new normal.

“I was hoping I could play one more match than I played in Monte Carlo,” Novak admitted. “Kind of a new reality for me, I have to say. Trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament,” He continued, “It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis, so it’s kind of a challenge for me mentally to really face these sensations on the court, going out early now regularly in the tournaments,” 

With this string of losses, Novak made a strategic decision to withdraw from the 2025 Italian Open, choosing recovery over further risk. The 37-year-old Serbian has competed in 19 matches this season, winning 12 of them. Yet, his last ATP Tour-level title remains the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals, a statistic that only adds weight to the current concerns about his form.

Still, with a well-timed break ahead of Roland-Garros, the biggest question remains: Is GS No. 25 still written in the red clay of Paris?