"He has two chances left..": Novak Djokovic's Grand Slam sand timer dissipating with 'last opportunity' mooted
ATP
In the view of John Isner and Steve Johnson on their Nothing Major Podcast, the sand timer of Novak Djokovic is quickly running out if he wants a 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic recently reached the final of the Miami Open but lost to Jakub Mensik and at times has been in crisis mode evidenced by yet another loss to Alejandro Tabilo who has done very little since he defeated him last year in Rome.
He is after not only a 100th title but also a 25th Grand Slam. After reaching the Wimbledon final last year and it being his most imperious Grand Slam, that seems likely believe the American duo.
“I would say Wimbledon would be his best chance if he can get through the first week basically unscathed with a bunch of straight setters and maybe get some luck of the draw in the quarters and semis,” Johnson said on the Nothing Major podcast.
“He just needs to get to the end of the two weeks with a bit more juice in his step. I just feel like he is going to run out of gas at some point but I think Wimbledon would be his best chance of getting that title.”
But Isner added more cynicism when it came to him winning anything else at all with a 2025 end date set for him to do so as he gets another year older in 2026.
Given Isner himself has recently retired, he has experience of his body not performing as well year on year. But while the hope is there, the realist in Isner believes it ends after this year in terms of Grand Slam chances.
“I am with you. I hope I am wrong here, but it seems like he has two chances left to win a Grand Slam in the rest of his career – Wimbledon and the US Open. It just seems like that," added Isner.
“Next year is tough, he is getting older [from the Australian Open]. We know how well he takes care of his body, but it just seems like I am talking about as far as his career goes. The question was his level in Miami, if he can serve like that then he absolutely can win Wimbledon.
“It just seems like 2025 is his last opportunity to win a slam, it’s either going to happen at Wimbledon or the US Open. I hope I am wrong, it would be amazing to see him turn back the clock and win a slam in 2026, but it just seems like that from my perspective.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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