Tim Henman is confident of seeing Novak Djokovic come back stronger after lackluster US Open campaign

Tim Henman doesn't think it's the end of Novak Djokovic as the Serb fails to grab a major title for the first time since 2017.

Tim Henman is confident of seeing Novak Djokovic come back stronger after lackluster US Open campaign

Novak Djokovic, Tim Henman (Images via X, Daily Express)

Former British No.1 Tim Henman doesn’t think the US Open exit was the beginning of a decline in Novak Djokovic‘s form. Djokovic himself has admitted that he played one of the worst matches of his career at Flushing Meadows. This is because the Olympics was ’emotionally draining’ for him and he even contemplated withdrawing from the US Open. 

The Olympic gold medal always eluded Djokovic before the Paris Olympics, for he failed to reach the final, let alone win the gold medal. The 37-year-old finally became the only third male player to accomplish the Career Golden Slam when he beat Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in the final. 

YouTube video

Following the win, he went on to skip North American hard-court tournaments before arriving in New York for the US Open. He won his first two matches with ease, which surprised him as he felt like an “amateur“. Djokovic finally suffered the shock exit when Alexei Popyrin beat him in four sets in the third round. Henman was surprised by Djokovic’s sluggish performances but believed he would soon regain his lost form. 

FS Video
It’s easy to focus on the physical demands, but it was the mental and emotional demands as well. Djokovic was flat out there, but this is not the last we have seen of him, for sure.
Tim Henman told Sky Sports
RELATED
Coco Gauff claims “it is not the summer” she wants after suffering fourth-round exit at 2024 US Open
Coco Gauff

Martina Navratilova says aging Novak Djokovic is finding it difficult to keep going consistently 

Novak Djokovic‘s campaigns this season have been contrasting to last year as he won three Grand Slam titles in 2023. While in 2024, he failed to grab a major trophy for the first time since 2017. He reached the semifinals at the Australian Open, and a knee injury forced him to withdraw from the quarterfinals of the French Open. 

Novak Djokovic (2)
Novak Djokovic (Image via X)

At Wimbledon, he played in the final but lost in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz. Following Wimbledon, Djokovic won the Olympic gold medal, which was also his first title of the season. Djokovic also skipped quite a few tournaments and focused mostly on the Grand Slam events. Martina Navratilova believes Djokovic’s age might be the reason why his performances have gone down. 

His goal for the year was to get the Olympic gold medal, and he got that done, so I’m not surprised he didn’t have the focus or that fire. It’s impossible to keep it going consistently. When you have a little off when you are older, it’s way worse than when you’re 25.
Martina Navratilova told Sky Sports

Navratilova is confident of Djokovic finding the motivation to play to his full potential, but to do that, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion urged Djokovic not to skip tournaments. Djokovic is reportedly set to play in the Davis Cup next. 

In case you missed it!