New Delhi: Gone are the days when Novak Djokovic used to start as the favourite at Wimbledon, the season’s third Grand Slam, which begins on the well-manicured lawns of London’s richest suburb (SW 19) on Monday.
As someone who won The Championship seven times, as it is called at Wimbledon, Novak knows there are younger and fitter players ready to prey on him. Yet, at 38, when Novak himself drops hints he may or may not be there for long, the lure of Grand Slams has been enticing.
When the battles begin on June 30, Novak will not be making a start on Day 1. That honour will be for Carlos Alcaraz, who plays Fabio Fognini in his title defence. The year 2024 was a crazy one for Novak Djokovic, when he did not win a Grand Slam title. After winning two Majors in 2023, the Serbian had to be content with just the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Be sure, compared to 2024, Novak has added a year in age but he is more fit than last time Just to jog the readers’ memory, last year Novak had suffered a meniscus tear in his knee at the French Open and underwent a surgery. How he bounced back to be fighting again at Wimbledon was a monumental effort, though he was tripped by Alcaraz in the final.
In 2025, two Young Turks are competing fiercely, Carlos as well as Jannik Sinner. Sinner has shown that dope ban and negativity is a thing of the past.
He has served his three months in exile and returned for the French Open, only to lose to Carlos in the final. In terms of fitness and speed, Sinner is miles ahead of Novak.
Yet, even as bookmakers no longer tout Novak as the favourite, he loves to play at Wimbledon and keeps the fans engaged.
““I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance because of the results I had, because of how I feel, how I play at Wimbledon, just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform the best tennis at the highest level,” Novaj Djokovic told the media ahead of Wimbledon.
He has faced uncertainty and to not win a Major for two years is surprising. At the same time, for all those who speculate or talk gibberish he should retire, Novak is ready to take on the field. His performances in 2025 at the Australian Open and French Open were not bad at all.
He made it to the semis and lost, no disgraced. His plan is clear, keep pushing hard at the Majors, focus on perhaps two or three Majors where he feels he has a good chance.
Novak knows despite the tons of effort he puts in on clay, the French Open is not his best surface. And then, Novak adds a layer of intrigue when he says he would like to compete in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as well. He will be 41 by then, but is ready to keep dreaming as long as his body can handle the workload.
“This year I played two semi-finals. Unfortunately in Australia, I had to retire. In Roland Garros I was outplayed by Sinner. I think I still played a decent level of tennis that showed me that I can still play on a very high level at the later stages.
That’s what is also giving me an extra, I guess motivation to keep going. Obviously, clay court, yeah, probably slightly less chances to win compared to grass,” said Novak.
For those who keep repeating if this Wimbledon is his last dance, Novak made it clear: “Whether it could be my last dance, I’m not sure.
My wish is to play for several more years. I would love tom be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level,” Novak told the media ahead of the Grand Slam.