Novak Djokovic has come as close as anyone to “completing” a sport: the most Grand Slams (24) of any male player in history, success on every surface, a professional career spanning over 20 years. At the Paris Olympics last year, Djokovic finally won the gold medal in singles he so craved. He was asked in January if he’d “beaten the game of tennis”. Djokovic laughed and said, “Yes, I mean if you solely look at it from the perspective of completing achievements and the game itself? Then, yeah, I mean I guess…”
He’s still competing for the biggest titles at 37. But since the Olympics, he’s been chasing his 100th singles title. It’s not as big a goal as the gold medal was (which Djokovic said was his “biggest sporting achievement”), but he’s made no secret of chasing numbers. He’s not fussed about his current ranking or making the year-end ATP Finals. Djokovic wants to break records. Along with stepping clear of Margaret Court’s Slam tally (the pair share the record across men’s and women’s tennis), the 100th title stands out as one of the few remaining targets Djokovic might have.
Miami
On Sunday, Djokovic had the chance to reach 100 at the Miami Masters. He faced Jakub Mensik in the final, who was 10 months old when Djokovic won his first title.
Earlier on Sunday, Djokovic was photographed with swelling under his right eye. He repeatedly used eye drops on changeovers. Gracious in defeat, Djokovic chose not to answer questions about the injury, saying, “I really prefer not to talk about - there is quite a few things, but I prefer not to... just congratulate him”, per The Express.
Djokovic’s serve was broken early (a surprisingly regular occurence throughout his career); he couldn’t break straight back as he often would.
(2:24) Serving at 3-4, 40-30, Djokovic showed he can still move around the court, turn defence into attack, and outlast players around half his age. He sometimes still sprints and slides like a teenager, but at other times he looks a step slow to the ball.
Djokovic’s level has been far more variable since the standout year of 2023 (one among many). He can reach the final of a tournament or go out in his first match (Doha in February, Indian Wells in March). At the US Open last September, Djokovic said he played some of his worst ever tennis against Alexei Popyrin (losing in the third round).
At Indian Wells, Djokovic lost to Van de Zandschulp. He was broken twice early on, made too many unforced errors, and lost the first set 6-2. Djokovic won the second, but lost the third 6-1, an almost unthinkable scoreline in any set in his prime.
When will Djokovic retire?
After he retired injured in his Australian Open semi-final in January, Djokovic said, “If I'm fit, healthy, motivated, I don't see a reason why I wouldn't come [next year]. I want to keep going.”
Aside from adding to his Slam tally and clinching his 100th title, Djokovic may want to win the Davis Cup before he retires. He said after his Olympics win, “It’s my pride to play for Serbia. I know Carlos (Alcaraz) and Rafa (Nadal), they love to play for Spain. Andy (Murray) loved to play for Great Britain. Roger (Federer) for Switzerland. Alex Zverev won in Tokyo for Germany.”
But as Tumaini Carayol wrote, “the older a player gets, the more challenging it is to hold their nerve and summon their best in the decisive moments, to play with the total freedom of old under pressure while conscious the end is not far away.” Each time Djokovic reaches a final, he knows it might be the last time he plays at that tournament.
Meanwhile, younger players—Arthur Fils (20), Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (21), and Learner Tien (21)—are getting better. Jannik Sinner (3 Slams) and Carlos Alcaraz (4) are still only 23 and 21. Jack Draper (23) won his first Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells. Mensik has joined an elite group of players to win a Masters in their teens. After Sunday’s final, Djokovic praised his serve, forehand, backhand, movement, and sliding. Mensik climbed to no. 24 in the world.
Djokovic is not finished yet. The 2025 points totals suggest he is the 4th best player in the world (he gained 800 points at the Australian Open and 650 in Miami). Djokovic beat Alcaraz in the semi-finals in Australia. On the way to the final in Miami, he dismissed top 20 players Lorenzo Musetti and Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-2 and 6-2, 6-3. But if Djokovic wants to really “complete” tennis, he will have to find his best level more often.
Top image from Tennis TV.