Djokovic: Is the end nigh for tennis’ indestructible man?

For all the talk which has surrounded the impending retirements of tennis stalwarts Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray this year, Novak Djokovic’s potential departure from the sport may also have crept up.

At 37, the Serbian is the same age as Murray and a year younger than Nadal, yet he has experienced nowhere near the amount of injuries his long-time opponents have, and talk of his retirement has been non-existent by comparison.

That is because Djokovic is tennis’ indestructible man. The player who gets everything back, who is never dead in a rally or a match, who continues to compete and win despite several controversies and set-backs.

Most recently for example, he recovered from knee surgery in just three-and-a-half weeks to take his place in the first round of Wimbledon, progressing all the way to another final.

Yet, in that final – a remarkably dominant 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-4) straight-sets success for 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz – we witnessed what has been in evidence all year: a player whose form and fitness has fallen sharply off a cliff.

In 2023, Djokovic clinched three of the four Grand Slams on offer (Australian Open, French Open, US Open) and lost in the final in the other – in five sets no less vs Spain’s Alcaraz at Wimbledon. It was a phenomenal 12 months.

While the end for Nadal and Murray have been some time in the making, with fans witnessing steady declines, Djokovic has endured a 2024 which suggests he too may not have long left at the top.

For many, Sunday at SW19 signified a changing of the guard at the top of tennis, with Djokovic himself later admitting he is not currently at the level of Alcaraz nor Italy’s Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic in 2024: Trophyless and his body starting to fail him

During 2023, Djokovic made eight finals in total, winning all bar the final at Wimbledon. In 2024, he failed to reach a single final until Wimbledon – where he was fortunate to find himself on the side of the draw which avoided three of the world’s top five in Sinner, Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev.

At Wimbledon, a hip injury to Alex de Minaur also saw Djokovic handed a quarter-final walkover, while a knee injury suffered by fourth seed Alexander Zverev earlier in the championship meant the Serbian’s semi-final opponent ended up being 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti – who had never contested even a Grand Slam quarter-final prior to Wimbledon.

Djokovic’s year began with a surprising straight-sets defeat to Australia’s De Minaur in the quarter-finals at the United Cup in Perth as part of preparations for the Australian Open, needing two stoppages during the contest for a wrist injury.

No big deal in isolation, but despite rocking up to Melbourne a record 10-time winner of the Australian Open, and seemingly invincible, Djokovic was destroyed by 22-year-old Sinner in the semi-finals 6-1 6-2 6-7 6-3.

Next up was Indian Wells in March, where another shock defeat fell Djokovic’s way – this time more seismic: losing to unheralded 20-year-old Italian Luca Nardi – who was a lucky loser in the tournament – in just the third round. Djokovic admitted to being shocked at his own level of performance afterwards.

Djokovic then pulled out of the Miami Open – where he is a six-time champion – citing the balance between his “private and professional schedule.”

Next up was the Monte Carlo Masters in April, but still Djokovic failed to reach a final, losing to Norwegian Casper Ruud in the semis – a first time in six attempts Ruud got the better of him – and doing so via a bizarre double-fault.

“I’m used to a really high standard in terms of expectations of the results, so not having a title is, maybe comparing to the last 15 years, not a great season at all,” Djokovic said following the loss.

A month later, Djokovic was stunned by Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo at the Italian Open, losing 6-2 6-3 for another early exit – again at the third round stage.

“The way I felt on the court today was just completely like a different player entered into my shoes,” Djokovic said following that defeat to Tabilo, which occurred after he was accidentally hit on the head by a bottle following the previous round.

Feeling the need for more preparation before the French Open, Djokovic signed up to play at the Geneva Open later in May. But again, silverware alluded him as another surprise defeat saw Tomas Machac beat him in the semi-finals. The Serbian complained afterwards about his stomach.

“Of course I am worried. I haven’t been playing good at all this year,” he also admitted.

At the French Open, Djokovic progressed to the quarters, but at a limp as opposed to a canter, needing five sets to defeat both 30th seed Musetti and 23rd seed Francisco Cerúndolo.

The second of those contests saw Djokovic pull up with a knee injury, and when scanned, a medial meniscus tear was revealed in his right knee. It caused him to withdraw from Roland Garros ahead of facing Ruud in the last eight, and then to undergo surgery which put his Wimbledon participation in huge doubt.

His recovery from surgery was typically miraculous, with the 37-year-old running and hitting balls less than three weeks after going under the knife.

At SW19, the second seed never looked at his fluent best, though, conceding sets to both British wildcard Jacob Fearnley in the second round and unseeded Australian Alexei Popyrin in the third round.

He overcame 15th seed Holger Rune and 25th seed Musetti either side of the bye vs De Minaur, to set-up a repeat clash with Alcaraz, but the final was a shock mismatch.

“Just overall the way I felt on the court today against him, I was inferior on the court. That’s it. He was a better player. He played every single shot better than I did,” a stunned and matter-of-fact Djokovic told media afterwards.

This year has proven taxing and massively unsuccessful for Djokovic so far. The Olympics is his next aim – a prize he has never won in his career in four previous attempts – but we may well see the end of the combustible Serb soon thereafter. His demise as sharp as it has been surprising.

Time waits for no man. Even those who have appeared bionic for well over a decade.

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