Grigor Dimitrov Tells Novak Djokovic That Father Time Will Eventually Catch Up With Him: “No Matter How Strong You Are, It’s Inevitable”

Because he is Novak Djokovic, one cannot think that he is not trying his best to win more Grand Slam titles. But even one of the greatest athletes of all time is slowly succumbing to the toll of time.

He is still able to challenge the formidable Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, but for how long remains to be seen. This season, he shocked Sinner in five sets in the Australian Open semifinal. But in the final, the Spaniard denied him the 25th Major.

Following a grueling quarterfinal against Felix Auger-Aliassime, Djokovic fell in the semifinals, losing to Sinner in straight sets. Then at the US Open, Djokovic suffered a complete physical collapse, registering a shock five-set defeat to Mariano Navone in the first round.

It was the third time this season that the Serb lost in the first round of a tournament. At the French Open, his campaign also ended in the early rounds when Joao Fonseca came from two sets down to knock him out in the third round.

In past interviews, Djokovic admitted that he experienced a drop in motivation after the retirements of his old rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Grigor Dimitrov felt the same way. In his interview with Bolavip, the Bulgarian ace said that no matter how hard Nole tries to prolong his career, Father Time will eventually catch up with him.

The players in today’s tennis are just bigger, stronger, faster, which is just a natural part of the evolution of tennis, but of course it is not easy to see Djokovic getting older, maybe struggling a bit. No matter how strong you are, it is inevitable that it will hit you eventually from a biological point of view.

Djokovic will play the full Grand Slam season next year. He dreams of competing and retiring at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Nature calls itself, and it is going to happen, and when you have been in a competitive sport for so many years, with traveling, jetlag and all that stuff, it eventually catches up with you. In a way, I also feel like it should, you know. There are also other parts to life than tennis. We have just been put in this position, a very privileged place. I feel spoiled, and we should feel that way.

Grigor Dimitrov added

Dimitrov, who lost in the first round of the US Open after qualifying for the main draw, competed at the Davis Cup before participating in the Saint-Tropez Challenger, where he lost in his opening-round match.

Novak Djokovic will be competing at the China Open

Novak Djokovic will be playing in an ATP 500 for the first time this season. He has signed up for the China Open, where he has a perfect 29-win-loss record and has won titles in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. He has not played in Beijing since 2015.

So far this season, Djokovic has competed in only three Masters 1000s, apart from the four Majors: Indian Wells, Rome, and Cincinnati. He has won a title at the 2025 Hellenic Championship by defeating Lorenzo Musetti.

The former World No.12 has dropped out of the top 10 and currently sits in 12th place. Djokovic last won a Major at the 2023 US Open and, since then, has played two finals at this level, losing both to Carlos Alcaraz (2024 Wimbledon and this year’s Australian Open).

Last year in the Majors, Alcaraz beat him in the semifinals of the US Open, and Sinner beat him in the semifinals of the French Open and Wimbledon; while in Melbourne, he was forced to hand the walkover to eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev due to an injury.

Also read: Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz’s Hilarious Conversation About US Open Win Goes Viral: “When You’re Stupid, It Helps”