Djokovic chases 25th Grand Slam: retirement rumors swirl

Novak Djokovic will be seeking his 25th Grand Slam title at the US Open to break the absolute record, surpassing the 24 titles won by Margaret Court. After winning the gold medal at Paris 2024, there is nothing left for Nole to win, having practically broken all records.

The Serbian has definitively surpassed Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in Grand Slam titles, won all the Masters 1000 at least twice, and holds the absolute record of 428 weeks as No. 1, far ahead of Federer’s 310.

The only big title Djokovic was missing was the gold medal at the Olympic Games, after several failed attempts. Despite this being the year he arrived with the most doubts about his level, after an irregular season and a minor surgery a few weeks before the tournament, Nole showcased his best level and defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the final, completing the last title he was missing.

His next challenge is the US Open, where he seeks another Grand Slam title. He can also tie with Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, and Roger Federer with five titles each: “It’s pretty hard to quit when you have won a Grand Slam,” stated John McEnroe. “In a way, it would be a great time to do it if he wins the Open and gets to 25, but that’s something I don’t know the answer to.”

“What is amazing is how he keeps coming back. How he wants more. The desire he has is incredible at the age of 37. He doesn’t need this any more, but he keeps coming back,” he added. “Maybe he will wake up one day and realise he doesn’t need it any more, but so long as he has moments like the Olympics or maybe winning a 25th major, why stop?”

The surprising fall of Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of the tournament seems to clear the path for Djokovic. Nevertheless, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner seems the most threatening name still in the draw, although Alexander Zverev (No. 4), Daniil Medvedev (No. 5), and Casper Ruud (No. 8) are other names with arguments to dream of the title.

“He showed at the start of the season that he was human,” Mouratoglou told Tennis365. “I felt that he had a real motivation issue at the start of the season, especially when he saw that Rafa was struggling so much and might not be coming back.”

“At the start of this season, it was almost as if Novak felt like the game was over because Rafa was struggling so much and it looked like it would be very difficult for him to come back to the top,” the former Serena Williams’ coach added. “I think this killed his motivation a little. One of the big motivations of his career was to have more Grand Slams than the two others and he has done that now.

“Then the Olympics come along and this prize that he has never lifted was there for him and his motivation came back. In such a short period of time, he was able to play at his best again,” he said. “For him, it is all going to be about finding the motivation from this point forward. The tennis is there, he is there physically, but it is all about how much he wants to continue.”