Throughout their careers, tennis players make significant changes. Their muscle mass, footwork, coaches, equipment, sponsors and anything else they can think of to maximize their potential. However, Novak Djokovic is a reminder of one thing that can’t be changed – their age.
At 38, the Serbian 24-time Grand Slam champion continues to show he has the ability to go deep in the world’s best tournaments. In 2025, he became the oldest man in the Open Era to reach the semi-final of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in the same season. It is an achievement that most on the Tour can only dream of, but is it enough for Djokovic, who is a known perfectionist?
In all of his semi-final encounters, he failed to win a set. Three of those losses were to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who are currently the dominant forces of men’s tennis, winning the past eight Grand Slams between them.
“I ran out of gas after the second set. I think I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets. After that I was gassed out, and he kept going,” Djokovic said of his US Open defeat to Alcaraz.
“That’s kind of what I felt this year also with Jannik (at both Wimbledon and the French Open). Best-of-five makes it very, very difficult for me to play them.”
Undoubtedly, Djokovic does whatever he can to keep in top form, but this isn’t always enough to shield him from the wear and tear of playing professional sport for two decades. During his time in New York, he was seen receiving treatment on his back, neck and left forearm at some stage during matches. To put this into perspective, the US Open was only the third tournament he had played in since May 26th.
Martina Navratilova was one year younger than Djokovic when she played her 32nd and last Grand Slam singles final at the 1994 Wimbledon championships. Having been in a similar situation to Djokovic, she admits it is a bitter pill to swallow.
“It stinks. I went through it,” she told Sky Sports. “The effort is the same, you feel the same. I didn’t feel that much slower, but you play the right point and you miss it, when you could have made it with your eyes closed 10 years ago. It’s frustrating.”
It is not just a theory that Djokovic is not as good as he once was; there is statistical evidence to back this up. In an article published on the tennis strategist website Brain Game Tennis, five different aspects of his game were highlighted as declining. Regarded as the greatest returner in the game, he only won eight points against the first 56 serves produced by Alcaraz in their latest meeting. Regarding baseline points won, he claimed fewer than Alcaraz in their match and was also outdone by Taylor Fritz in their quarter-final clash.
Djokovic could easily switch his focus to other events, such as ATP 250s, where he will have a stronger chance of adding to his 100 Tour titles won. However, he has never been a player to do this after repeatedly saying the older he gets, the more he wants to focus on the Grand Slams. He is just a trophy away from becoming the most decorated singles player – male or female – in Grand Slam history.
“I’m happy with my level of tennis but it’s just the physicality of it,” Djokovic admitted when speaking to reporters in New York.
“I’m going to do my very best to get my body in shape to sustain that level and that rhythm for as many hours as it’s needed. But it wasn’t enough (against Alcaraz). That’s something I, unfortunately at this point in time in my career, can’t control.
“I’m not giving up on Grand Slams. I’m going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals and fight for another trophy at least. But it’s going to be a very difficult task.”
A resilient Djokovic is not giving up on his goals but can he achieve them? He believes he can, but time is not on the side of the sporting great, who made his last major final appearance in 2023.
Novak Djokovic’s last 10 years on the Tour
| YEAR | ATP WIN-LOSS RECORD | ATP TITLES WON |
| 2015 | 82-6 | 11 |
| 2016 | 65-9 | 7 |
| 2017 | 32-8 | 2 |
| 2018 | 53-13 | 4 |
| 2019 | 57-11 | 5 |
| 2020 | 41-5 | 4 |
| 2021 | 55-7 | 5 |
| 2022 | 42-7 | 5 |
| 2023 | 56-7 | 7 |
| 2024 | 37-9 | 1 |
Note: Djokovic is currently 31-10 in 2025 with one ATP title
