Djokovic made a deep run at Roland Garros this year, reaching the semi-finals before bowing out to a red-hot Jannik Sinner, proving he’s still capable of competing for the grandest prizes in tennis.
The Serb, however, is not the same player he used to be, and having already hinted at retirement in recent months, is surely not far away from calling it a day on his legendary career.
After Djokovic won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, which had eluded him for years, the former world number one was left with just one more feat to achieve in the sport: a 25th Grand Slam title.
Currently tied with Margaret Court on 24, should he collect one more major crown, he would have more than any man or woman in tennis history.
He’s been in pursuit of the record since winning the US Open in 2023, and having recently turned 38, Djokovic‘s window to make history could be closing very soon.
Since 2023, Djokovic has made the final of a Grand Slam just once, which came at Wimbledon last year, where he met eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.
He had played the Spaniard the year before, in what was one of the most thrilling matches at the All England Club to date, going five sets on Centre Court.
Their 2024 clash, however, saw a much more lopsided encounter, as the Spaniard won in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 7-6.
It was a statement victory for the now-world number two, and marked what many thought was potentially the passing of the torch from one generation to another.
In 2025, he has struggled to find consistency, suffering first-round exits in Indian Wells, Monte-Carlo, and Madrid, despite making the semi-finals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
Aside from his own game, his biggest problems arise with the recent dominance of Sinner and Alcaraz, who, between them, have won the last six Grand Slam titles.
The two, aged 22 and 23, will only get better as they enter their prime, and the gap between them and Djokovic will only continue to grow.
With this, Wimbledon 2025 and potentially the US Open this season are arguably the legend’s last chance at doing what no player has ever done before, in securing a quarter-century of major trophies.
“It doesn’t mean that I will never be able to do that again, but that greatness changes its shape, and that’s because you’re a different person on an annual basis, on a monthly basis, on a weekly basis.
“Tennis is a sport where it’s necessary to nurture that mentality of, it’s never enough.
“Because once it’s enough, then it’s really enough, and you have to put the racket aside. And I still… I still don’t feel it’s enough for me.”
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