“I have seen him on the decline for a while,” Gilles Simon gives his verdict on Novak Djokovic’s recent downfall

Simon believes this year may be Djokovic's last chance at more glory.

“I have seen him on the decline for a while,” Gilles Simon gives his verdict on Novak Djokovic’s recent downfall

Novak Djokovic and Gilles Simon (Via Imago/X)

Former World No.6 and Daniil Medvedev’s current coach, Gilles Simon, is no stranger to the tour, and especially not to playing Novak Djokovic.

The French former pro has played Djokovic 12 times in his career and even managed to defeat him on one occasion. So, he would know about the ins and outs of Djokovic’s game better than most. He recently got candid about how he sees Djokovic’s recent losses and what may be causing them. He claims to have believed that Djokovic has been on the decline since he lost last year’s Wimbledon final.

It's more a question of age, there's a break around 37 or 38, when it gets tough. He was playing well last year, he won three grand slams, but I've seen him drop for a while now--You are in a very short media window and it is amazing how things change. Last year when he lost [the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz], I said that for me, he had one year left.
Gilles Simon said via Stats Perform at the Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault event

Simon believes age has played a huge factor in the Serbian’s apparent drop in form but he believes Djokovic had it in him to win multiple Majors despite being in decline. 

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For me, there were already signs on the court that he's dropping, but he was and still is completely capable of having a great 2024 season. --I have more doubts about the 2025 season, and I already had some last year, above all linked to the physical aspect.
Gilles Simon added

He also questions Djokovic’s chances in 2025 as he has expected the World No.1 to do well this year, but all he has had is a streak of bad results.

Gilles Simon thinks Alcaraz and Sinner could reach the level of the Big 4

The French veteran, Gilles Simon, had a lot of good things to say about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, likening the two to some of the greatest players to have ever played the sport.

Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz(L) and Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer(R)
Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz(L) and Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer(R) (Via Imago)

He said Alcaraz has potential that is reminiscent of the prime Big 4 era and he would reach their heights if he is able to maintain this level consistently. 

I think that Alcaraz has the level of the big 3 or big 4 that we’ve had because he really has a level that’s very high.
Gilles Simon said

He then went on to acknowledge Alcaraz’s biggest rival yet, Jannik Sinner, praising his ability to achieve consistent results with little setbacks, something he has demonstrated throughout the year so far. However, Simon believes Alcaraz has the edge over his Italian counterpart, as he established his dominance against him in Indian Wells in a match that helped recover his confidence.

His consistency is reminiscent of that of the Big 4.--He lost his big match at Indian Wells, against Alcaraz, who suddenly regained his level and overtook him.
Gilles Simon added

Nonetheless, Simon has his hands full for the season, as he has a lot to work on his current assignment, i.e. Medvedev. Medvedev is yet to win a title this year, and his team must be busy working overnight to bag some trophies for the World No. 5. The Russian ace added Simon to his coaching team in February.

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