After clinching a gold medal, to the delight of the photographers on the Philippe-Chatrier court, at the end of the tennis event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Novak Djokovic took to the microphone to give his first comments. The final question in this short post-match interview was: “What’s left to win?” » GOAT’s response: “Not much! » Of course, this is a slightly political answer that is smooth, but in the end, if we think about it, isn’t the truth also simple?
There is a lot of discussion/debate about the fact that Novak Djokovic could not qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin. The reason? Very simple. For the first time since… 2005 (!), Novak Djokovic did not win a single title on the circuit during the season. A title doesn’t qualify you for the Masters, you might say. And you are absolutely right. On the other hand, a Grand Slam title, yes. And when I say that Novak has not won a single title in 2024, that is precisely including the Grand Slam. Yes, he won the Olympic title, which was crucial for him because it was the only one he was missing, but the latter gives no points, no euros. It’s just about the thrill of winning.
He wants to stay competitive.
So why continue? The Serbian is now 37 years old. He has won everything and over and over again. He won the Masters d’Or (he won all 1000 Masters) twice (Roger and Rafa are far behind him). He achieved the career Grand Slam. He won the Davis Cup (he wants to win back, but it will be for fun). He won the Masters seven times (Rafael Nadal never did) and thus finally won the gold medal in singles (Roger only won in doubles). The idea was not to say that Novak is so much stronger than Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, but it is clear that he is.
The reason Novak Djokovic is in Shanghai – and will no doubt be in Paris for the Rolex Paris Masters – is because he wants to stay competitive for the simple reason that he wants to and can be the best of all time. But for that, he has to reach a sacred number: 25.
What does this 25 mean? This is simply the combined men’s/women’s record for Grand Slam wins. By winning the US Open in 2023, “Nole” won his 24th Grand Slam title, leaving Rafael Nadal two lengths behind and Roger Federer four behind. At this level, the mission is more than accomplished. But there is still one last step to be done, that is number 24. The name associated with this number is the Australian Margaret Court, the great champion of the 60s and 70s. Today, the Court does not have the same position as before. His borderline excursions into everyone’s life choices made him lose all credibility.
For a long time, Serena Williams tried to beat this record that she absolutely wanted to equal, but the American never succeeded. Their score remained stuck at 23, despite several opportunities in the Carnán final. For Novak, it’s still possible. Already, unlike Serena, he has managed to match Court, and it is very clear that his ultimate goal is to defeat her.
We will have to win this 25th Grand Slam soon.
Why is this so important? It is very simple. It’s about supremacy. When you’ve won everything over and over again, there’s only one thing left, which is to say that, for everyone, the best thing is “no questions asked”. That’s what he wants, Novak. Furthermore, he knows that if he succeeds, the one who will expel him may not even have been born yet. Of course Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek are great champions. And yes, she will be the big 3 or 4 tomorrow, and she could have an impact on the women’s circuit in her own right. But will they make it to 26? Because this total is what we will have to focus on if Novak Djokovic ever reaches the famous 25. And if he achieves it, it will inevitably be a record that will stand for at least a good decade.
On the other hand, as is Novak Djokovic, he will have to win this 25th Grand Slam soon. Like all of us, the Serbian is not getting any younger. His body stands smaller and smaller, and if we are objective and fair, we say to ourselves that he has one year, or even two years at most, left to close the debate.
Meanwhile, the current conversation is whether he will be in Turin or not. I sincerely think he sees it as much less important than before. However, I can’t see that he’s not trying to be there. My prediction is that he will qualify for the Masters and, next year, come in at number 25 on his hunting list. After that, he could decline quickly like he did after finally winning Roland-Garros in 2016. The only difference is that this time, he won’t be able to come back.