Novak Djokovic figures Wimbledon gives him his best chance at 25th Grand Slam
By Howard Fendrich
London – This is part of the Novak Djokovic routine now, especially during the Grand Chelem tournaments: he presents himself and wonders – at the start of the event, during the event, after the event or sometimes the three – whether it is his last appearance there.
Recovered on Saturday in Wimbledon, and his answer was the same as he tends to be, which is essentially equivalent to: who can say it?
“Whether it’s my” last dance “,” started the major champion 24 times, repeating the sentence used by the journalist who asked the question: “I’m not sure – because I am not sure of Roland Garros or any other slam that I then play.”
And then Djokovic continued, offering something of a mixture to try apparently to calm everything about knowing whether he really thinks about retirement at 38 years old while being realistic about the place where things are.
“My wish is to play for several years. I would like to be in good health physically and also mentally motivated to continue playing at the highest level,” he said. “This is the goal. But you never know at this stage.”
What Djokovic conceded is that the All England Club could offer him the most likely place to bring together another title of simple Grand Slam, which would allow him to increase his career to 25 – a number that no tennis player has ever reached.
“I would probably agree to say that Wimbledon could be the best chance, because of the results I had, because of what I feel, how I play Wimbledon,” said Djokovic, who faces Alexandre Muller in the first round on Tuesday. “Just get this mentally and motivation additional push to make the best tennis at the highest level.”
Djokovic won seven championships in The Grass -Courd Major and came to make his total of eight – the number that Roger Federer won, and a behind Martina Navratilova, nine female trophies of Martina Navratilova – but lost in the final 2023 and 2024 in Carlos Alcaraz.
All in all, Djokovic appeared in the match for the title that each of the last six times that the tournament has taken place (it was canceled in 2020 in the middle of the COVVI-19 pandemic), won it in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. Its most recent loss of Wimbledon returned in 2017, when it was beaten in the quarter-finals by Tomas Runner Tomas.
As for persistent questions about Djokovic’s future, it is the same type of subject that was presented to Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams that these great games approached their farewells.
Now it’s just Djokovic’s turn.
But just because he has not won a Grand Chelem Trophy for more than 1 1/2 years – he collected three in 2023, crowned by the US Open in September – do not think that Djokovic is not able to grasp another.
As he recalled to anyone listened on Saturday, he went to the semi-finals to the Australian Open in January before stopping after a set because of an injury to the hamstrings, and went to the Final Four at the Open of France this month before losing against Jannik Sinner n ° 1. After that, Djokovic took time as he was leaning the field The clay, then said that it could have been his last match at Roland-Garros.
There was also the not so small production to claim a gold medal for Serbia from the Paris Olympic Games less than a year ago by beating Alcaraz, no less.
“These tournaments give me the biggest record,” said Djokovic. “I like what I’m feeling at the moment, physically. Regarding tennis, I played well in training sessions. Obviously completely different when you start a tournament. I will try to have a very good tournament and go as far as possible. ”
And maybe even come back in 2026.
