Rafael Nadal spent nearly two decades studying Novak Djokovic across a net. In Jason Hehir’s new documentary, he all but concedes he never solved him.

Playing Djokovic is “very difficult”, Nadal tells the camera.

“You have to be at your 100 percent, and even then it might not be enough,” the Spaniard says.

Hehir uses the line early. It sets up what “Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter” is really about: how the biggest names in the sport talk about the man who beat most of them, most of the time.

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The Last Dance director’s next subject

Hehir’s previous film was the ten-part Michael Jordan series that reset the ceiling for what a sports documentary could be. His follow-up is much tighter at 92 minutes and embeds with Djokovic through his 2025 Australian Open preparation, weaving training-court footage with sit-downs at home and one-on-one interviews with the players who shaped his career.

“Novak gave us unfettered access to his tireless physical and mental preparation as he competes at the highest level,” Hehir says in the film’s official notes.

The film began streaming worldwide on Prime Video on 20 August.

The recognition Agassi thinks Djokovic missed

Andre Agassi gives the film one of its more pointed lines about Djokovic’s standing in tennis.

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“He hasn’t received the recognition he deserves,” Agassi says.

Pete Sampras and Boris Becker are also interviewed. Roger Federer is not, an absence early reviewers have flagged as the film’s most obvious hole.

Djokovic on what winning costs him

Djokovic himself gives Hehir a version of himself that press-conference rooms rarely see. He tells the camera the tournaments he wins have stopped feeling like a reward.

“The practice days. The media. My own expectations. I cannot enjoy. If I have to compete on the biggest stage, it’s not only about that match, it’s about my reputation. It’s about everything.”

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The film’s climax runs through his 2025 Australian Open, the tournament where he holds a record ten titles. His run at a 25th Grand Slam ended in the semi-final, when he retired injured after dropping the opening set to Alexander Zverev.

“Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter” is streaming on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories.

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