Boris Becker Does Not Expect Novak Djokovic to Win His 25th Grand Slam Next Season

For the first time since 2017, Novak Djokovic finished a season without winning a Grand Slam title.

Boris Becker Does Not Expect Novak Djokovic to Win His 25th Grand Slam Next Season

Novak Djokovic, Boris Becker (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, Sportbible)

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Boris Becker has admitted that he doesn’t see Novak Djokovic winning his 25th Grand Slam anytime in the future. The tennis legend’s statements come at a time when Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the men’s circuit for the past two seasons, winning all the last eight Grand Slams between themselves.

Djokovic has been relegated behind Sinner and Alcaraz on tour since last season as he has not won a Grand Slam title since then. The duo has stepped up their rivalry this season, meeting each other in three consecutive Grand Slam finals. Djokovic reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January, but injury forced him to retire from his clash with Alexander Zverev.

At the French Open, he was bidding to reach the final but was stopped by Sinner in the semi-finals, losing in straight sets. A month later, he met the Italian star again in the last four of the Wimbledon Championships and fell to him in straight sets. At Flushing Meadows, the Serbian legend picked up one of his best wins of the season after beating Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals.

He then went on to face Alcaraz in the semi-finals, their ninth meeting on tour. With a 16-year age gap between the two, Alcaraz triumphed in straight sets at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. It was the first time since 2017 that Djokovic ended a season without winning a Grand Slam title.

The former World No. 1’s search for his 25th Grand Slam now gets slimmer every season as younger players want to compete for the title. During a conversation on the Becker-Petkovic podcast, Becker revealed that Djokovic has already realistically given up on winning a Grand Slam at 38:

I think, now he’s admitted that he can’t realistically win a Grand Slam because of his age and the strength of the youngsters [Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner]. What exactly does that mean? Does that mean he’ll stop at some point? Do you have any idea when that could be? Do you think he’s playing a full Grand Slam year?

Djokovic made an emotional exit from the Court Philippe-Chatrier following his loss to Sinner. He kissed the red dirt with his hands, while taking in the applause from the crowd after giving his best against the Italian star. That was an alleged sign that the 38-year-old career is gradually coming to an end.

Former Doubles World No.1 believes Novak Djokovic will not play the 2026 French Open

Novak Djokovic is surely in the closing chapters of his career following his run in Grand Slam events this season. The 38-year-old has featured in fewer tournaments for the second consecutive season and yet couldn’t win a major title. This season, he claimed only the Geneva Open trophy in June.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (via X/The Tennis Letter)

Former World No.1 doubles champion Rennae Stubbs predicted on The Rennae Stubbs podcast that Djokovic will play his last tournament at the Australian Open, and noted that the 24-time Grand Slam champion will not play the French Open:

I feel like the Australian Open is going to be his last major tournament to play. I don’t think he wants to keep playing after that and have to go through the French Open. He is so good on every surface but I can’t see him beating these guys over five sets on clay and then to go to Wimbledon again. I feel like the Australian Open would be a great way to finish his career.

Last year, after the US Open, Djokovic only played the Shanghai Masters, where he reached the final, before calling off his season. This season, he’s yet to reveal which tournament will be his last. However, he’s set to feature in the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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