Djokovic aims for Olympics and US Open to salvage a titleless season

Novak Djokovic fell in his first final of the 2024 season at Wimbledon, losing to Carlos Alcaraz 2-6, 2-6, 6-7. The 24-time Grand Slam champion made an impressive run at SW19 despite undergoing knee surgery less than a month ago but was unable to secure the title.

This marks the first time Djokovic has reached August without a title since 2005, his debut season as a professional. Since winning his first title in July 2006, he had always added to his trophy cabinet by this time of year.

Despite Djokovic’s "long" title drought, he reached the semifinals at the Australian Open and Rome Open, the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, and finished as the runner-up at Wimbledon. Currently, Djokovic remains second in the ATP Rankings and sixth in the Race. Among the top-10 players, only he and Medvedev are still without titles in 2024.

There are still significant challenges ahead for Djokovic this season, and he can turn around his difficult year marked by inconsistent results and injuries. The world No. 2 is less focused on rankings and more on achieving historical milestones, with the Olympics in two weeks being one of his major goals.

The gold medal at the Olympics remains an elusive achievement for Djokovic. The Serbian has participated four times, earning a bronze in 2008 but finishing fourth in 2012 and 2020, and experiencing a shocking first-round exit in 2016. This may be his last chance to achieve Olympic glory.

The clay surface in Paris could be advantageous for Djokovic, one of the best players in the history of Roland Garros and clay courts, though it remains to be seen how his knee will handle another surface change. Later, the US Open at the end of August will be Djokovic's last major task of 2024. He is in a good position to qualify for the ATP Finals.

Djokovic is the defending champion at Flushing Meadows, where he has four titles and six runner-up finishes. He could surpass Nadal and tie Federer with five US Open titles. "The Olympic Games and the US Open are my two big goals for the rest of the season. I hope to raise my level and deliver my best tennis in Paris and New York. That's all I can say," Novak Djokovic stated.

The absolute record is currently tied between Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, and Federer, each with five US Open titles. Additionally, Djokovic could reach 25 Grand Slam titles, definitively surpassing Margaret Court's 24 and becoming the indisputable all-time leader in major titles.