Novak Djokovic – Is this the beginning of the end?

Death, taxes and Novak Djokovic winning a Grand Slam in the last decade or more has been inevitable. Djokovic is undoubtedly the best ever Men’s tennis player having won an incredible 24 Grand Slams with ten Australian Open, three French Open, seven Wimbledon and four US Open titles. His ATP tournament records are even more staggering with a record 40 ATP 1000 Masters and a record seven ATP Finals titles in his career. Add to that, ranked World No.1 for a record total of 428 weeks. These are mind boggling stats by any stretch of imagination and what makes them even more special is that he achieved most of them while playing alongside tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Hence, the expectation levels are still huge from the legendary player but even though he completed a career Golden Slam this year by winning an Olympic Gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, his performances haven’t been up to his usual excellent best at the Grand Slams failing to win a single Grand Slam title this year. The Australian Open is his most favoured Grand Slam, yet this year he lost in the Semi-Finals to Italian Jannik Sinner. He also lost his World No.1 ranking to Sinner this year. Having played selective tournaments due to fitness issues, he further dropped down the pecking order to fifth rank in the ATP rankings.

He had to retire from the French Open due to a knee meniscus injury for which he had to get operated. Nobody expected him to return for grass court season but he made a miraculous recovery and returned to Wimbledon in his quest for an eighth Wimbledon title. He made it to the finals but post-injury stress proved too much as he was thrashed by Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets. His only redemption came in the form of an Olympic Gold at the Paris Olympics that was missing from his already glittering collection. However, his poor run continued in the US Open where he was outplayed by Alexei Popyrin in a shock third round exit.

Djokovic has been renowned the world over for his mental fortitude and has made unforgettable comebacks from losing positions many times however, this season not just physically but he has struggled mentally as well. Not known to give up easily, he has looked clueless in his games especially against top ranked players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. 

Age is also playing its part as the 38-year-old Serbian has to now compete against much younger, faster and more athletic players. The usual air of confidence has been missing and a case could be made for the player’s declining air of invincibility which has also given other players confidence that he is beatable now. He has become more injury-prone leading to him playing lesser tournaments now. That can also have an effect on his match fitness as he only plays ATP Masters 1000 and the Grand Slams now, reducing the number of matches as compared to the other top ranked players who are playing more regularly and are better prepared.

Even though this is the first poor season in a long time, there are whispers going around in tennis circles whether the Djokovic era is drawing to a close. His recent withdrawal from the Nitto ATP Finals has only added fuel to fire. His inability to win any big tournaments this season are pointing ominously towards a player in decline. However, if we look at his performances, except for the shock third round exit in the US Open, he has performed reasonably well in other Grand Slams, also winning the much-vaunted Olympic Gold is a testament to his mental strength, will power and resilience. If he can manage his fitness and selects his tournaments smartly, I do believe Djokovic isn’t done yet, at least for one more season. He is still ranked in the Top Five and has only lost to Sinner or Alcaraz more often, still wins against other players comfortably. 

These are positive signs for Djoker fans who want to see their legend continue to play and win at least one more Grand Slam to reach the biggest milestone of all – a record 25 Grand Slam titles that no one has achieved. Next season would be a litmus test for Djokovic though, if he fails to perform for another season running, then there could be serious talk about the end of the Djokovic era.