"The bad days are worse": Novak Djokovic's age a factor in recent doubt admits Martina Navratilova
ATP
Martina Navratilova has no doubt that Novak Djokovic's age catching up with him is a factor behind his recent shock losses albeit she still believes that he won't have worries about it after a titleless start to the 2024 season.
The 18-time Grand Slam champion said that while he isn't worried due to his mindset, the bad days get worse as you get older. He lost to Jannik Sinner again at the Australian Open who aside from Indian Wells where Carlos Alcaraz had his number has been the dominant force. Then his Italian hoodoo continued, he was well beaten by Luca Nardi at Indian Wells with the World No.123 executing in the performance of his life to dismiss the World No.1.
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A lot of conjecture about Djokovic's future as expected was made. The 24-time Grand Slam champion withdrew from the Miami Open due to balancing his personal and professional schedule but has since been seen relaxing, actually in Miami. He will next be seen in Monte-Carlo.
“Sinner played a flawless match in Australia and that’s what it takes to beat someone as good as Novak Djokovic,” the former world No 1 said.
“And also after that Novak took six weeks off, and it’s great that he can take that kind of time off, but you have to be rusty a little bit.
“You’re rested but you rusted so you need those matches to get back into the swing of things, and Novak ran into a guy who was really hot that day. What happens when you get older is the bad days are worse.
“You have to have it (doubt) no matter what. Even if you don’t have it, the press reminds you. I wouldn’t worry about it if you have Novak’s mindset, and I’m sure he’s not worried about it at all.”
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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