Djokovic Aims for Record 25th Grand Slam at Wimbledon, Citing Best Chance for Victory

Djokovic Eyes Wimbledon for Historic 25th Grand Slam Title

WIMBLEDON, England -- At every Grand Slam event, the inevitable question arises for Novak Djokovic: Will this be his last appearance? The query resurfaced this past Saturday at Wimbledon, and his response remained characteristically ambiguous.

"Whether it could be my 'last dance,'" the 24-time major champion echoed, referring to the reporter's phrasing, "I'm not sure -- as I'm not sure about Roland Garros or any other Slam that I play next."

Djokovic acknowledged the speculation surrounding his potential retirement at age 38, while also maintaining a realistic outlook on his career trajectory.

"My wish is to play for several more years. I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level," he said. "That's the goal. But you never know at this stage."

Djokovic conceded that the All England Club might present his best opportunity to secure a record-extending 25th Grand Slam singles title.

"I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance, because of the results I had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon," said Djokovic, who is set to face Alexandre Muller in the first round on Tuesday. "Just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform the best tennis at the highest level."

Djokovic boasts an impressive seven championships at the grass-court major. He narrowly missed out on an eighth title, losing to Carlos Alcaraz in both the 2023 and 2024 finals.

Djokovic has consistently reached the final match in his last six appearances at the tournament (Wimbledon was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), securing victories in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. His last defeat at Wimbledon prior to the recent finals against Alcaraz was in 2017, when he was ousted in the quarterfinals by Tomas Berdych.

The persistent inquiries about Djokovic's future mirror the conversations surrounding the careers of other tennis legends like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams as they approached retirement.

Despite not having won a Grand Slam title in over a year and a half – his last being the US Open in September 2023, where he claimed three titles that year – Djokovic remains a formidable contender.

As he emphasized, he reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in January before a hamstring injury forced him to withdraw after one set. He also advanced to the final four at the French Open earlier this month, ultimately losing to Jannik Sinner. Following that match, Djokovic kissed his hand and touched the clay, hinting that it might have been his last appearance at Roland Garros.

Furthermore, Djokovic secured a gold medal for Serbia at the Paris Olympics less than a year ago, defeating Alcaraz in the process.

"These tournaments give me the biggest drive, still," Djokovic said. "I like the way I feel right now, physically. Tennis-wise, I've been playing good in the practice sessions. Obviously completely different when you start a tournament. I'll try to have a very good tournament and go as far as I can."