Novak Djokovic’s era has finally come to an end. The age of Serbian legend and the rise of young champions like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has ushered in a new era of men’s tennis, which will certainly be very different from the previous one.
The 37-year-old from Belgrade has struggled this year to play at his usual level and suffered many unexpected defeats against second-tier players. The former world number 1 will close the season without having won a single Grand Slam title, a disappointing result that he had not seen since 2017 (when he suffered a serious wrist injury).
The 24-time Grand Slam champion shocked the world by winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, where he reversed the odds and beat Alcaraz in a truly memorable final. Novak made the maximum effort to win the gold medal and did not recover in time for the 2024 US Open, where he played badly and was eliminated already in the third round by the Australian ace Alexei Popyrin.
McNamee on Djokovic’s future
Nole reached a single Grand Slam final in 2024, at the Wimbledon Championships, giving up to Alcaraz in a match dominated by Spaniard ace. The Serbian champion will try to win his 25th Major title next year, perhaps already at the Australian Open. Novak will need to think carefully about his schedule in the last part of the season. At this time, the Serbian legend would not qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin (where he won the title last year).
In a recent interview with Sportklub, Australian legend Paul McNamee discussed Nole’s future: “There is a new Big Three – Djokovic, Sinner and Alcaraz. I would say that Novak is still the favourite in Australia to win his 11th title. I think Novak is No 1 in Melbourne. Here, Alexei Popyrin played brilliantly, but it is clear how much winning the gold drained Novak. Apart from Australia, I think he is also the favourite at Wimbledon. If he doesn’t win a Slam next year, that question of retirement will be asked. On the other hand, it is also a deeply personal question. Andy Murray probably played too long, but he wanted to play. It is a personal decision when someone retires. Personally, I think he will play the whole next year and see how it goes.”
The former world number 1 will play the Masters 1000 in Shanghai after a long absence and will certainly be present at Paris-Bercy, but he may also decide to play the tournament in Vienna to accumulate ATP points. Top coach Brad Gilbert also reflected on Novak’s current status: “He’s certainly not happy with how it went here, but I’m sure he’ll be back, he always does. If you had told me that he wouldn’t win any Grand Slam titles this year, I would have been shocked. I thought he would win two, maybe even more.
It will be interesting to see what he does in the fall – if he doesn’t play much, he will fall down the list, and he will be in a slightly more difficult position from that aspect. I expect Novak to be a candidate for titles at eight more Slams, i.e. in the next two years. That’s a good question. My guess is that they will. It’s always good to have someone to motivate you, maybe offer a different perspective. I would definitely be surprised if he does not hire anyone, so I expect him to do that.”
A legendary career
Djokovic has made tennis history and has no intention of giving up, despite the fact that young people are making it more difficult for him to win the most prestigious titles. The 24-time Grand Slam champion no longer has the brilliance of a few years ago, but his experience and determination allow him to delay the effects of time.
Former ATP ace and top analyst Mats Wilander commented on Novak’s season: “It’s tough to compete on clay in the middle of the season and arrive at the US Open without having played a hard-court match. It’s impressive how Djokovic has managed to win 24 Grand Slam titles and doesn’t have that identifying trait in his tennis that Roger and Rafa had, but he can seem invincible when he’s at his best. Defeats like this are a reminder that he is a human being. Of course, he would like to win everything, but he needs time to rest and prepare properly. He will return to his best form in Australia.” Nole will play with his Serbia in the Davis Cup next weekend.
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