Novak Djokovic believes Wimbledon could be his prime opportunity to secure a record-breaking 25th men`s singles Grand Slam title.
The 38-year-old is aiming for his eighth championship at the prestigious grass-court event. A victory would see him equal Roger Federer`s record for most Wimbledon men`s singles titles and would mark his first major triumph since winning the US Open in September 2023.
Since his success in New York, Djokovic`s performance in subsequent major tournaments has seen him advance past the semi-finals only once. He previously lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.
Speaking ahead of the tournament at the All England Club, where he is set to face France`s Alexandre Muller in the opening round, the former world No. 1 stated:
“I would probably agree Wimbledon could be the best chance [of a 25th Grand Slam]. Because of the results I have had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon – getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform the best tennis at the highest level.”
Reflecting on his future, Djokovic added:
“Whether it could be my last dance, I`m not sure, as I`m not sure about Roland Garros [the French Open] or any other slam that I play next. My wish is to play for several more years, I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level. That`s the goal, but you never know at this stage.”
Focusing on Grand Slams
Now ranked sixth globally, Djokovic explained his current priorities:
“I would say it`s slightly different for me now in terms of I don`t chase the rankings anymore in that regard. I`m trying to play the best tennis in Grand Slams and trying to win Grand Slams. That hasn`t changed.”
He acknowledged recent fluctuations in his performance but highlighted his consistency in the biggest events.
“Even though my level of tennis has been going quite up and down and fluctuating much more than it was the case for the most part of my career – if you see the last year and a half I`ve been kind of volatile with my results – at Grand Slams it stays quite consistent. That`s good. That`s a good sign because that`s exactly what I want. These tournaments give me the biggest drive still.”
Djokovic recounted his Grand Slam results earlier this year:
“This year I played two [Grand Slam] semi-finals. Unfortunately in Australia I had to retire, in Roland Garros I was outplayed by Jannik Sinner. I think I still played a decent level of tennis that showed me that I can still play on a very high level at the later stages.”
Highlights from this year`s Geneva Open final show Djokovic defeating Hubert Hurkacz to clinch his 100th ATP title.
