Novak Djokovic is widely regarded as the greatest male tennis player of all time. With 24 Grand Slam titles to his name, he sits two ahead of Rafael Nadal and four clear of Roger Federer, both also tennis legends. There is one player who has won as many Grand Slams, however, and that is Australian tennis icon Margaret Court. Of course, it can never be a fair comparison given the obvious differences between the men’s and women’s games. But Court also won 13 of her 24 Slams in the Amateur Era of the game.
Nevertheless, when it comes to cold, hard stats, for now at least, Djokovic cannot claim to have won more Grand Slams than any other tennis player. And we get the sense he is desperate to put that right and land his 25th Slam before he calls time on his illustrious career. He’s also chasing his 100th ATP tournament title, and he’d love to get past Federer’s total of 103 wins and the record of 109 held by Jimmy Connors. The problem is, he might be running out of time.
The Serbian maestro reaches the ripe old age of 38 on 22nd May 2025, and no player of that age has ever won a Slam. The current record for the oldest Grand Slam singles champion is held by Aussie great Ken Rosewell who won the last of his eight majors when he landed the Australian Open in 1972 at the ripe old age of 37 years, two months and one day. But could Novak defy the ageing process and land one more big one? The signs are not looking great.
Slamless Season in 2024
Djokovic won his first Grand Slam way back in 2008 when he triumphed in the Australian Open, beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final after overcoming Roger Federer in the semis. He didn’t add to his Grand Slam tally until 2011, when the floodgates opened and he won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. Since then, the Serb has won at least one Slam every year except for 2017 when he was severely hampered by injuries. Until 2024, that is, which became the first year since 2010 in which he competed in all four Slams but won none of them.
Aussie Open & Wimbledon Losses
On the face of things, this is quite a significant drop off, given that he won three out of four Slams in 2023 (the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open) and made the final in the other. But he wasn’t a million miles away from his 25th major in 2024, making the semis of the Aussie Open, where he lost to eventual winner Jannik Sinner, and the final at Wimbledon, where he lost out to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets.
Grand Slam Success in 2023 US Open
The fact remains that Djokovic last tasted Slam success at the 2023 US Open, and only made it to the semis at this year’s Aussie Open. Given that’s the Slam he has won more than any other (with 10 victories over the years there), it doesn’t bode brilliantly for the others in 2025 or beyond. And recent news has certainly cast a shadow over his preparations for the upcoming French Open.
Djokovic Withdraws from Italian Open After Early Madrid Exit
Djokovic withdraws from Italian Open on back of three-match losing run.https://t.co/z96ELTugHP
— STV Sport (@STVSport) April 30, 2025
Djokovic was knocked out in the opening round of the Madrid Open in April in straight sets to Italian 24-year-old Matteo Arnaldi (who is currently ranked 44th in the world). After the defeat Novak appeared downbeat about his form, saying that his level of tennis was not “where I would like it to be”.
Given that he is no longer at the top of the rankings (he’s fifth at the time of writing), he can’t enjoy quite as good draws as he used to in tournaments, but irrespective of that, a couple of years ago he would barely have broken a sweat in dispatching almost any player outside of the top 10 in the world.
Played on clay, the Madrid Open is a common preparatory tournament ahead of the French Open, so his lack of clay-court games could cause an issue at Roland-Garros. Things got worse for the Serb as it was announced he would not be taking part in the Italian Open (also on clay), a tournament he’s won six times and at which he’s competed every year since 2007. Add that to his loss on clay at the Monte Carlo Open to Alejandro Tabilo (again in the opening round, again in straight sets), and it would take a brave punter to back Djokovic for glory in Paris.
Can Djokovic Rediscover His Form?
Djokovic has faced plenty of adversity over the years, whether in general, off the court, or during arduous matches that looked dead and gone. But more often than not, the Serb has found the resolve to bounce back and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Winning his 25th Slam might prove to be his greatest challenge to date, however. Withdrawing from the Italian Open suggests he may be undertaking intensive training sessions ahead of the French Open in an attempt to rediscover that spark of energy or athleticism that has helped him achieve such greatness on the court over the years.
Reports suggest that coach Andy Murray (who knows a thing or two about overcoming adversity himself) is aiming for Novak to peak at the French Open. The problem is, going out of tournaments in the opening round is far from the perfect preparation… at least, that would usually be the case.
There is a counterargument that maybe, just maybe, it will be beneficial for Djokovic (and his ageing body) to go into the French Open having played less tennis. Although he might not be quite as “match fit” as he otherwise would be, he is also less likely to have picked up any niggling injuries that could hamper his efforts. It is possible that the decision to miss the Italian Open is as much about self-preservation as anything, and – assuming training goes well – he could be in a stronger position at Roland Garros than he would have been had he gone all the way in Rome.
Of course, that is speculation. But one thing tennis fans have learned over the years watching the brilliance of the 24-time Grand Slam winner is to never underestimate Novak Djokovic. And we certainly wouldn’t be at all surprised if he triumphed in Paris, or – if not – the US Open later in the year and finally landed his 25th Grand Slam to cap his unbelievably successful career in tennis.