Ex-WTA Star Explains What She’s Found ‘Insane’ About Novak Djokovic This Year

The last time Novak Djokovic played a Grand Slam final was at the 2024 Wimbledon.

Ex-WTA Star Explains What She’s Found ‘Insane’ About Novak Djokovic This Year

Novak Djokovic (Image via X/Wolfy)

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Although Novak Djokovic is a shadow of his former self, age only proved a hindrance when he was up against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The hunger for the 25th Grand Slam title that has eluded him since the 2023 US Open propelled him to all four semifinals of this year’s Majors.

An injury stopped him from completing his match against eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open, while at the French Open and Wimbledon, Djokovic suffered straight-set defeats to Jannik Sinner. At the US Open, eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz became the reason behind his elimination in straight sets.

Djokovic has featured in 11 tournaments this season, reaching two finals and winning only the Geneva Open by beating Hubert Hurkacz to win his 100th singles title. Former World No.4 Caroline Garcia, who retired last month, was in awe of the 38-year-old’s win over young players in spite of playing in fewer tournaments.

It’s just insane, he’s playing like five tournaments a year, every time. Maybe the first match is a bit messy, but he gets through it and just becomes a better and better player through the tournament. It just seems that his body will stop him a bit in the end; he’s less able to recover as fast and as well as before. When he arrives at the moment to play Alcaraz or Sinner in a best-of-five, he’s unfortunately not able to do it anymore.

Caroline Garcia told Roland Garros

The last Big Title Djokovic won was the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics after two tough sets against Alcaraz. He has not signed up for the ATP 500 China Open or Japan Open, both of which are scheduled to start on September 24.

Maybe in best of three, he can do more things, but in best of five, it looks like he’s struggling this year. That’s what the results show, but it’s impressive how good he is with the few amount of tournaments he plays and how he is able to adapt to the younger generation. He plays so well, it’s nice to see.

Carloine Garcia added

Last year on the Asian swing, Nole featured only at the Shanghai Masters, where he lost in the final against Sinner. His participation in this year’s Shanghai Masters is uncertain.

Novak Djokovic reaches No.4 ranking

Novak Djokovic is not paying much heed to rankings. Last year, Jannik Sinner dethroned him from the top in June. He also dropped out of the top 5 because of inconsistent performances.

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

But his run at the US Open awarded him 4,830 points. Had he won his fifth title at Flushing Meadows, he would have removed Alexander Zverev to occupy the third spot.

At present, it’s difficult for Djokovic to reach the No.2 or No.1 spot, given that Carlos Alcaraz comfortably sits at the top with 11,540 points after his US Open win over Sinner. The four-time Grand Slam champion has 10,780 points.

Djokovic will be playing the first edition of the Hellenic Championship, an ATP 250 tournament in Athens, scheduled to kick off on November 2. Just like last year, he could decide not to feature at the ATP Finals. Although the former World No.1 was last seen in action at the US Open, he recently attended the Davis Cup tie between Greece and Spain. He watched next-gen star Joao Fonseca beat Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Djokovic wants to continue his quest for the 25th Grand Slam title next season. Although he often hinted at retirement, he made it clear after his US Open exit that he wants to play the Majors next year as well. The Serb is 31 – 10 this season.

Also read: Alexander Zverev Eager to Take the Responsibility of Leading Team Europe to Success at the Laver Cup