Ex-ATP Player Thinks Novak Djokovic ‘with His Ego’ is Convinced He Can Win Another Major

Novak Djokovic reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slam events this year but failed to reach the final.

Ex-ATP Player Thinks Novak Djokovic ‘with His Ego’ is Convinced He Can Win Another Major

Novak Djokovic (via X/The Tennis Letter)

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Novak Djokovic is prolonging his career only because he thinks he still can win a Grand Slam title, according to former player, Guy Forget. Djokovic has reached the twilight of his career and is struggling to win titles.

Since 2024, he has lifted just two tour-level titles: this year’s Geneva Open and the Hellenic Championship by defeating Hubert Hurkacz and Lorenzo Musetti, respectively. He also won his first Olympic gold medal in Paris last year by defeating World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz.

It was the Spaniard who stopped Nole from winning his 25th Major at Wimbledon last year with a straight-set win in the final. It was Alcaraz again who knocked him out in the semifinals of this year’s US Open.

But Djokovic was the one who denied Alcaraz a chance to complete the Career Grand Slam by eliminating him in the quarterfinals of this year’s Australian Open, but the win went in vain, as after reaching the semifinals, he was forced to give the walkover to World No.3 Alexander Zverev.

Then at the French Open and Wimbledon, the 24-time Grand Slam champion lost to World No.2 Jannik Sinner in the last four. Apart from the two aforementioned tournaments where Djokovic won the titles, he also progressed to the final of the Miami Open, only to lose in straight sets at the hands of the Czech Republic’s Jakub Mensik. Forget said the 38-year-old, despite his age, is still motivated to win at least one more Major.

But his motivation is still there: I think if he’s playing this tour again, it’s because he feels capable. I don’t see him playing the Australian Open, hoping to reach a quarter-final or semi-final. He must be convinced that he can still, with a bit of luck and a good draw, reach the semi-finals with relatively little fatigue in his legs; he must think that he’s capable, in a single match, of perhaps beating Carlos Alcaraz. In reality, it will be difficult, certainly, but in his champion’s mindset, with his ego, I think he’s convinced of it.

Guy Forget told Tennis Actu

Djokovic wants to hang up his racket not in the near future but at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. But for how long he will play, for sure, will depend on how much his body can grind.

Tim Henman on how Novak Djokovic can win another Grand Slam title

Tim Henman thinks Novak Djokovic needs luck to win a Grand Slam title. For him to reach his historic 25th Major, Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner would need to suffer defeats.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Image via X/AllAboutHQ)

He could make another Grand Slam final, but I think he relies on someone else beating Alcaraz or Sinner. It will be interesting to see what happens with his ranking, his seeding, whether he has to play one of those, Alcaraz or Sinner, in the quarters, or if he is protected and would play them in the semis.

Tim Henman told The Tennis

Djokovic was the last man, other than Sinner and Alcaraz, to win a Grand Slam title. The last time he won a Major was at the 2023 US Open by defeating Daniil Medvedev. Sinner and Alcaraz took home the last eight Majors.

This year, they faced six times, with the four-time Grand Slam champion emerging victorious at Wimbledon and the ATP Finals. The win in the year-end championships helped Sinner improve his head-to-head record to 6-10. They have won a combined 26 titles from 35 finals since the 2024 season.

Against Sinner, Djokovic trails 4-6 in the head-to-head matchups. The six-time Grand Slam champion trails 4-5 in the head-to-head matchups against the Serbian great.

Also read: Former Russian Star Questions Novak Djokovic’s Desire to Play at the LA Olympics in 2028