Novak Djokovic is still chasing history at the age of 38. He already has 24 Grand Slam titles under his belt and is looking to win another one. As Wimbledon 2025 nears, we look at why Djokovic might still have one last Slam
There is only one member of the ‘Big 3’ club who is still an active tennis player. He is currently 38 years old and he won his last Grand Slam title – the 2023 US Open – at the age of 36.
Djokovic still believing at 38
Over a span of 15 years (2008 to 2023), Novak Djokovic managed to do what neither Federer nor Nadal could – get to the magic number of 24 Grand Slam titles – the all-time record held, for the longest time solely, by Margaret Court (pre and post Open Era combined). The big question though is – can Djokovic pull one last rabbit out of the hat and go past the Swiss Maestro and the Spanish Matador one more time and win a Grand Slam title after the age of 36?
I still distinctly remember the Sunday when Novak Djokovic won his first Grand Slam title. It was the 2008 Australian Open final and Djokovic was playing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. A potential Federer vs Nadal final had not materialised, with both stalwarts faltering at the semi-final stage. After that title win at the Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic didn’t win a Slam title till 2011 (a year in which he won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open). Needless to say, in the interim, many experts felt the 2008 Aussie Open title was just a flash in the pan.
Little did I or anyone else watching and tracking the Australian Open final of 2008 realise that in these 17 years the Serb who first made his presence felt as quite the disruptor in men’s singles tennis, would go onto become the joint most successful tennis player of all time (Tied with Margaret Court). With as many as 24 Grand Slam singles titles to his name, outstripping Federer and Nadal (something which back in 2008, even after the Aussie Open title win, no one would have thought to be even remotely possible), the name Novak Djokovic is an immortal one. But he is still choosing to play on. And can you really point any fingers, considering he is still making semis and finals cuts at the Slams?
What experts are saying
At the recently concluded French Open, where Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in a final that could well challenge the 2008 Wimbledon final between Federer and Nadal, as the best men’s singles Slam final ever played, Djokovic made it all the way to the semi-finals, eventually losing to Sinner. The Serb didn’t drop a single set in his first four matches at Rolland Garros this time, beating much younger opponents. That statistic changed only in the quarter-final where he beat Alexander Zverev, seeded three places above him and the 2024 runner-up, in four sets (4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4). Not bad for a 38-year-old, eh?
I spoke to former India singles tennis player, Somdev Devvarman, who played all four Grand Slams, recently and Som was clear that Djokovic was right up there, in terms of quality, at the year’s second Slam, this time.
“You have to remember that the guy (Djokovic) made the Wimbledon finals (in 2024) on one knee and who did he lose to? (in the final) – to Carlos Alcaraz. At the French Open also, I think he was better than every single person in the field, except two guys (Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner),” Somdev said.
While Som backed Djoko’s game, there are others who feel it will be impossible for the man once nicknamed ‘the Djoker’ to win another Slam title. Earlier this year, former French player turned analyst Nicolas Escudé was quoted as saying by Eurosport France – “…yes, he (Djokovic) is on a downward slope. At the beginning of the year (2025), we already asked ourselves the question about Novak Djokovic and, in my opinion, I don’t see him winning a Grand Slam anymore; it’s far too complicated for him…”
It’s understandable that some people, like Escude, feel that the greatest men’s player of all time will not hold Slam silverware ever again in his career. The number one reason for that is of course age. It catches up with everyone, doesn’t it? And hand-in-hand with age comes declining physical prowess. We saw Rafa Nadal carrying on, hoping against hope and playing through multiple injuries and physical setbacks, trying to win that elusive 23rd Slam title. But he couldn’t. Federer realised after his third knee surgery in August 2021, that the writing was on the wall. He announced his retirement a year later.
Djokovic tore his meniscus cartilage (in the knee) at the French Open last year and had to limp off, before subsequently undergoing surgery. Many have cited that as a potential sign that his body will not allow him to go all the way to a Slam title, in other words play seven best of five-set matches. But then, are we forgetting that Djokovic recovered from that surgery in almost miraculous fashion and made it all the way to the final of Wimbledon? Many felt he had done it on one leg! Combine that with what we saw at the French Open this time and all it might take is a couple of results going his way, right? After all, the man is making Grand Slam semi-finals at the age of 38. That is, simply mind-blowing.
“…if he (Djokovic) is still going to play at that level, if he is still going to be that highly ranked, if he is going to be that much of a threat, then I wouldn’t put it past him (winning another Grand Slam title), because he has made the finals of Wimbledon on one leg,” Somdev Devvarman further said.
The biggest reason perhaps that Djokovic’s critics feel he won’t be able to get to Grand Slam title number 25, is the meteoric rise of the top two players in the world currently, in men’s singles – Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The two of them have won the last six Slam titles between them and have undoubtedly left the rest of the ‘new generation’ pack well behind them. But let us not forget that while Djokovic might not have the legs and overall stamina that the young guns have, he has tons of experience working for him.
That coupled with an extremely analytical tennis brain. Don’t forget that after a long time of losing to Federer and Nadal, he figured out ways to beat both those legends, at their own game. Have absolutely no doubt about the fact that he is studying Alcaraz and Sinner very, very closely. He might not have that aura of invincibility anymore, but he’s still very much there. Waiting. Hoping.
Djokovic’s Wimbledon hope
If there’s one Slam title that Djokovic feels he might still realistically have in his sights, it could well be Wimbledon. He probably doesn’t have the physical gumption left to win one more at his favourite Slam – the Australian Open (he has won it a record 10 times – most in the Open Era). In this year’s Aussie Open, he managed to beat Alcaraz in the quarter-finals and reach his 12th semi-final at Melbourne Park, but then had to retire in that clash against Zverev, after losing the first set.
The grass at SW19 is not as fast as it used to be, because of the way it’s maintained mostly, but of course it’s faster than what Djokovic is coming off – clay courts – and that suits his current game which doesn’t lend itself to very long rallies. Djokovic is also a very strong baseline player and over the years He is also one of the, if not the best, returners of serve in the men’s game. And that will hold him in good stead even against big servers, like Sinner – who has modified his serve to make it way more booming and often goes for broke, directing pin-point serves to the body, even on second serve.
The road to No. 25 won’t be easy
There’s no doubt that Djokovic’s biggest hurdle at Wimbledon will be Alcaraz – the two-time defending champion, who is aiming to become just the second player to win the French Open, the Queen’s Club title and Wimbledon in the same year and who some feel is the most complete player on the tour right now. For many, Alcaraz’s incredible ability to know For some experts, including Somdev, Alcaraz is already an all-surface great. Sinner hasn’t managed to do carve out a niche for himself on the grass of SW19 yet, with his best performance so far there being a semi-final appearance (2023), but that doesn’t mean Djokovic will have it easy against the 6-foot-3-inch-tall Italian.
This time, Djokovic and Sinner are in the same half of the Wimbledon draw, which means they could potentially face-off in the semi-finals. As per the draw, in the quarters, Djokovic could face British World Number 3, Jack Draper. Alcaraz is on the other side of the draw and will be the favourite to win complete a hat-trick of titles. Though the Spaniard has almost seamless made the transition from clay courts to grass – winning the French Open and then the Queen’s title – what is he slips up?
“What if the other guys (Alcaraz and Sinner) lose? A lot of things can happen. So, I would say he (Djokovic) is still very much in the hunt, but obviously time is ticking,” said Somdev.
Remember what the man himself said?
“Wimbledon is next, which is my childhood favourite tournament. I’m going to do everything possible to get myself ready. I guess my best chances maybe are [at] Wimbledon or a faster hard court, maybe Australia or something like that.”
Djokovic has achieved everything that there is to achieve. He even ticked off the box of 100 career titles by playing and winning a third-tier event in Geneva in May to join an exclusive club, which has only Jimmy Connors (109 titles) and Federer (103 titles) as the other members. But he will be thinking of a few more milestones. One more Wimbledon title will see him equal Federer’s record of eight titles. It will also see him go past Margaret Court as the sole record holder of most singles Slam titles, with 25. He might have mellowed with age, but finishing on top of the pile has perhaps always been the biggest ambition that fuels his fire.
After all, when he was on Slam title number 16, with Federer on 20 and Rafa on 18, this is what he had said ahead of the 2019 US Open, when asked about his desire to be the all-time most successful player:
“It does also put a certain level of responsibility on me as well, because I am, you know, aiming to do that (become the player with the maximum Slam titles)…It’s definitely one of my ambitions and goals, if you want.”
