Novak Djokovic is arguably the greatest tennis player in history with 24 Grand Slam titles to his name. But the Serbian remains determined to claim a 25th Grand Slam title which would leave him out on his own across both the men’s and women’s games. However, that quest took another blow when he was defeated in five sets (having been two-love up) by Joao Fonseca in a Friday thriller at Roland Garros. But was that his last, best chance?
Can Novak Djokovic win another Slam?
The age factor
The Serbian is looking to do something that has never been done before in the entire history of the sport. No man has ever won a Grand Slam title over the age of 38. The oldest to ever win the title was Ken Rosewall, who did the impossible at the age of 37 years, one month, and 24 days. The Australian great won the 1972 Australian Open on home soil, which appeared to be his eighth and last Grand Slam title.
Athletes from their mid-30s onward experience many physiological and structural challenges that affect their performance and availability.
Loss of muscle mass and power affect ball striking, which has contributed to his low serve percentage over the years. There is a reduction in his flexibility and mobility, which allows opponents to get the better of the Serbian during long rallies in a way that simply would not have happened earlier in his career.
Recoveries after matches are very key to a player’s well-being, and not getting proper recovery may result in higher injury recurrence, as was the case when Djokovic picked up a knee injury.
Djokovic won his last Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open when he defeated Daniil Medvedev in straight sets. After his dramatic and shocking defeat to Joao Fonseca in the French Open, the Serbian will be 39 years, 1 month, and 7 days old when Wimbledon starts in June. His chances of winning another major title just keep getting harder.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz dominance
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have been the most dominant forces in tennis for the past 3 years. They have won the last nine Grand Slam titles. Djokovic failed to capitalize on the absence of Alcaraz and the elimination of Sinner by Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
The Serbian has picked up just three wins in his last 10 matches against the duo and recorded only five victories overall against the duo at the Grand Slams. Whilst most players would be quite pleased with that sort of record, Djokovic will not be and will be aware that he has to improve these numbers to stand a chance of winning another major title. The reality, however, is that time is not on his side.
Fitness Issues
The major problem currently facing the Serbs is his body. Since his last Grand Slam title in 2023 at the US Open, he has faced some career-threatening injuries. It will be very difficult for Djokovic to win a Grand Slam when not fully fit. The injuries started piling up after the 2023 US Open success.
He had to withdraw before the 2024 French Open quarterfinals against Casper Ruud. An MRI revealed a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, and he underwent successful surgery afterwards.
During the 2025 Australian Open semifinal match against Alexander Zverev, Djokovic had to retire after the first set due to a muscle tear, which had given him a lot of problems in the previous quarterfinal victory over Carlos Alcaraz.
2026 has so far proven to be one of the worst seasons in his career, with so many injuries impacting his performances. Fatigue and shoulder injury seem to be his Achilles heels so far, which prompted him to miss the action in Adelaide, Doha, Miami Open, Monte Carlo, and Madrid.
After his defeat by Joao Fonseca, the former world #1 admitted that his body is letting him down in tournaments and though the Serbian clearly remains an exceptional player, he is also clearly not the force that he once was. The question for Djokovic now is does he have enough left in the well to climb the mountain one last time. The answer, increasingly, looks like no.
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
