Novak Djokovic Explains the Difference in Time Compared to His Younger Days
Novak Djokovic has featured in just two tournaments this season.
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Novak Djokovic (Image via X/#AusOpen)
- Novak Djokovic, turning 39 in May, remains competitive but struggles with physical limitations against younger players.
- He has won three Grand Slam titles in 2023 but has not consistently beaten top players as he did in previous years.
- Djokovic is expected to prioritize the Madrid Open for his clay-court season after withdrawing from the Monte Carlo Masters.
Novak Djokovic will turn 39 in May, and that will make him the oldest player ranked in the Top 10 of the ATP rankings. The World No.4 has won and achieved almost everything that professional sport can offer, but he’s yet to give any hint of retiring soon, despite not competing consistently on the court.
Despite being 38, Djokovic has proven that he can still compete with the top players in the men’s circuit. He proved that at the Australian Open in January when he defeated two-time champion Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals in five sets. However, he failed to lift the title after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
However, about five to ten years ago, Djokovic was dominating the men’s circuit. He won three Grand Slams in 2015 and repeated the feat in 2021, with just one match away from winning the four major tournaments. In 2023, he won three majors (the Australian Open, French Open, and the US Open). In 2024, he became the oldest man to win an Olympic gold medal in tennis.
For over two years, things have been a little bit different for Djokovic. The Serbian legend has a desire to compete and win titles, but his body is growing old. He doesn’t have the same physical strength and mobility as other younger players on tour. Alcaraz, Sinner, and other younger players are beginning to give him problems on the court.
Before 2024, Djokovic could easily beat any player of the top players in the ATP, but that cannot be said of late. Even though he defeated Sinner at the Australian Open, he has not consistently beaten top players in tournaments as he did previously. During an interview with Vanity Fair, he admitted that when he was younger on tour, things went pretty quickly, and his achievements didn’t have much of an impression as now:
That’s a good question. I think it goes by quite quickly overall, and it’s not just my impression: many people tell me that, compared to 15 or 20 years ago, time seems to fly by. Perhaps I was younger and time didn’t have as much of an impact on my mind as it does today.
Djokovic has competed in only two tournaments this season – the Australian Open and Indian Wells Masters. At Indian Wells, he didn’t get past the fourth round as he fell to Jack Draper in three sets. The World No.4, who didn’t feature in Miami, recently announced that he will not take part in the Monte Carlo Masters. He featured at the event last year, losing to Alejandro Tabilo in his opening match.
Madrid Open director believes Novak Djokovic will feature at the Masters 1000 tournament
Novak Djokovic is yet to reveal which tournament he will kick off his clay-court season with. Several top players, including Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, are kicking off their clay season at the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco. Djokovic has withdrawn from that tournament, meaning he might play at the Madrid Open, the next Masters 1000 event.
However, former ATP player Feliciano Lopez heads the Madrid Open and shares the role with former WTA No.1 Garbine Muguruza. During a recent interview on Radio Nacional in Spain, Lopez expressed confidence that Djokovic will play at the Madrid Open. He explained that the 38-year-old is keen on competing in the Spanish capital:
He’s keen to come to Madrid, that’s what I’ve been told. Obviously, we know Djokovic’s schedule lately is what it is. He has the ability to play very little and still be fighting for the big titles at almost 40 years old. What I think is that he’s keen to come to Madrid, so it’s one of his priorities of the clay court season, obviously after Roland Garros. We have to be very respectful of this because he plays so infrequently and chooses his tournaments so specifically and precisely…
Should Djokovic compete at the Madrid Open, it means the tournament might be an opportunity for him to smoothly transition from hard to clay court. There are reports that he will play at the Italian Open in preparation for the second Grand Slam of the season at Roland Garros in Paris.
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