Former ATP Player Expresses Doubt About Novak Djokovic Winning His 25th Grand Slam

Following the conclusion of the Wimbledon Championships, questions are being asked about Novak Djokovic‘s chances of winning another Grand Slam. At 39, the Serbian legend does not have much time left to claim his 25th Grand Slam, which has led former ATP Player Greg Rusedski to analyze that he doesn’t see Djokovic winning another major title.

After Djokovic won the 2023 US Open, his 24th Slam, some pundits predicted he might win at least 27 Slams before retiring. The reason was that, at the time, the only challenger to Djokovic was Carlos Alcaraz, but in 2024, Jannik Sinner upped his game.

Sinner won his first Grand Slam at the 2024 Australian Open, where he also defeated Novak Djokovic in four sets in the semi-finals. Alcaraz then won the French Open and defeated Djokovic in the final of the Wimbledon Championships. Since then, Alcaraz and Sinner have won seven of the last eight Grand Slams.

Notwithstanding, there were hopes that Djokovic would win this year’s Wimbledon, having won it seven times in his career, and with the absence of two-time champion Alcaraz from the tournament. Djokovic couldn’t reach the final at the All England Club, losing to Sinner 4-6, 4-6, 4-6 in the last four.

Sinner eventually won Wimbledon after defeating Alexander Zverev in the final on Sunday (July 12). Since Djokovic last won a Grand Slam, Sinner and Alcaraz have won five Slams each, and Zverev just one. During the latest episode of Off Court with Greg, Rusedski analyzed that it only takes a miracle for Djokovic to win his 25th Grand Slam, and he doesn’t see that happening:

Honestly, I’m not sure if he’ll ever win his 25th Grand Slam title. I think this was his last real chance. Of course, let him keep playing—miracles do happen, and I’d be happy if he proves otherwise, because I respect him greatly. However, history shows that tennis players 39 and older don’t win Grand Slams. He could reach the semifinals, maybe even the final, but to overcome that last hurdle… The new generation has firmly established itself at the top.

Djokovic had beaten Sinner in the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January, so there were expectations that he would defeat the Italian star for the second time at Wimbledon, but he failed to replicate the level of performance he produced in Melbourne. Meanwhile, Sinner bounced back from his French Open early exit to win Wimbledon for the second time.

Novak Djokovic told his physical energy has stopped him from winning another Grand Slam

When Novak Djokovic defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon, he was highly praised by several former players. The former World No.1 defeated the Canadian star in five sets and after five hours and 15 minutes on the court. But that seems to have affected his performance against Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.

He exerted so much energy to beat Auger-Aliassime that he couldn’t replicate the same level of performance against Sinner. And that has been the story of Djokovic’s Grand Slam performance for the past few months. He often faces tough opponents before the crucial match, which makes it difficult for him to give his best in two consecutive tough matches. During the mentioned conversation, Greg Rusedski revealed that he lacked full energy against Sinner:

Novak’s problem is that now, even without Alcaraz, he has to beat two players in succession who are in phenomenal form. I’m not sure he has enough physical strength left. Mentally, he’s still at his best, but he lacks the energy to take the final step.

Djokovic will now take a short break away from tennis with the expectation of playing at the US Open. Flushing Meadows will be difficult for him to win, as Carlos Alcaraz is expected to return from his injury. Alcaraz has not played a competitive match since his second-round win against Otto Virtanen at Barcelona.

Also Read: Coach Simone Vagnozzi Calls Novak Djokovic Semifinal Jannik Sinner’s ‘Best’ Match of Wimbledon