We have always heard the words, “Nobody beats Father Time.” Sadly for many tennis fans, that includes Novak Djokovic. The Serbian great has proven to be the greatest competitor to Father Time, maintaining extraordinary consistency across all surfaces despite being 37. However, the inevitable decline could finally be here. Djokovic lost in the third round of the US Open against Alexei Popyrin.
The Australian player was one of the most in-form players heading into Flushing Meadows, with recent success at the National Bank Open. However, the tennis world is accustomed to seeing Djokovic perform at a higher level than he did on Friday night (August 30). The former World No. 1 bowed out with a scoreline of 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4.
Congested Schedule
Djokovic achieved the greatest accomplishment of his career by winning the Olympic Singles Gold Medal in Paris earlier this month. According to the tennis great, he put his “heart and soul” into the Gold Medal match against Carlos Alcaraz. Perhaps the US Open came too soon for him.
The debate about congested schedules and extended breaks for tennis players has gained traction over the past 12 months. Iga Swiatek (Women’s World No.1) has strongly advocated extended breaks for tennis players. However, the situation in the Olympic tennis season takes scheduling to another level.
Considering that Djokovic’s Olympic Gold medal match isn’t even a month old, it is remarkable that he, at his age, has made himself available for a shot at the US Open. The tennis world has already seen the toll it took on Alcaraz’s body, as he fell to Botic van de Zandschulp 24 hours earlier.
The Spaniard had won Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the Olympic Singles Silver Medal in the summer. However, he returned to competition only a week after his Olympic campaign and lost in the first round of the Cincinnati Open to Gael Monfils. The 21-year-old carried that feeling into the US Open, where he couldn’t progress beyond the second round. Therefore, there is no guarantee whether this is Djokovic’s decline, especially considering where his level was just less than a month ago.
Lack of Motivation
Usually, when a player has won everything there is to accomplish, their level of play declines. We saw that with Roger Federer when he broke Pete Sampras’ record for most Grand Slams in 2009. Until his retirement in 2022, he could only win five more Grand Slams.
The same could be expected here with Djokovic. The 37-year-old has won everything there is to win and has ticked every box regarding record books. With the young generation of players coming in and moving better than him now, the dawn of a new era could likely be upon us.
For only the second time since 2011, Djokovic has gone without a Grand Slam title in an entire season. The other time was in 2017, but it was more due to the Serb’s physical issues. In this case, Djokovic has been available in almost every big tournament except for when he withdrew from his Roland Garros quarterfinal due to a meniscus tear.
Additionally, this is the first time since 2017 that Djokovic has moved out of the top 3 in the ATP rankings. The Belgrade native could fall as low as No. 5 in the rankings depending on the performances of Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev at the US Open.
Unpredictable Serve
In 2017, Djokovic saw his invincibility shaken for the first time in a while with Federer and Rafael Nadal’s resurgence. The two tennis legends each won two Grand Slams that season. However, when Djokovic rose to the top again in 2018, Goran Ivanisevic was the biggest addition to his coaching staff.
The 2001 Wimbledon champion was key to Djokovic’s success ever since. Ivanisevic’s most significant contribution was improving Djokovic’s service games. The Serbian became nearly invincible on serve, and given that he was already an excellent returner, it became difficult for opponents to win games, let alone matches.
In 2024, with Ivanisevic no longer on his coaching staff, Djokovic’s serving problems resurfaced. At the US Open, his service games were a major concern as he accumulated many double faults, a point he highlighted in his press conference.
If Djokovic wants to regain his former glory in 2025, he needs to restore the invincibility he once had on his serve. He knows he can no longer endure the grueling baseline exchanges with younger players, so he needs quick points, which can only come through quality serving. However, given that he is in the twilight of his career, it remains to be seen if Djokovic will take that step.
Knee Situation
During Roland Garros, Djokovic suffered a meniscus tear in his fourth-round match against Francisco Cerundolo. He withdrew from his quarterfinal match to be fit for Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics. Although the decision worked well for him, it has set the inevitable clock ticking on his career.
When Federer had his meniscus problem for the first time in 2016, it marked the beginning of many knee issues he endured during the later stages of his career. Although Djokovic has shown exceptional fitness throughout his career, he has struggled with knee issues during the Olympics and the US Open. Could it be that Djokovic’s knees will be the key to the end of his career?
Conclusion
The question of whether Novak Djokovic is in decline or not is too soon to answer. The tennis legend was World No. 1 less than three months ago, but we can safely say he is in the twilight of his career. Given that no more major records exist for him to break, we can expect his invincibility to end soon.
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
