Rafael Nadal’s retirement announcement on Thursday left Novak Djokovic because the final man standing from tennis’s golden period however with main query marks over the Serb star’s personal long-term future within the sport. Djokovic stays marooned on 24 Grand Slam titles, a report for a person however nonetheless stage with Margaret Court docket within the all-time complete. For the primary time since 2017, he’ll end a season with out a Grand Slam trophy. Djokovic, who might be 38 subsequent Could, salvaged his season by profitable Olympic gold in Paris, a victory he described as his “biggest achievement”.
That made him solely the third man after Nadal and Andre Agassi to clinch a profession Golden Slam of all 4 majors plus Olympic gold.
Nonetheless, Djokovic has been pushed into the shadows by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz who cut up the 4 Grand Slams between them in 2024, confirming their standing because the brightest stars in tennis’s new technology.
This 12 months was the primary since 2002 that at the very least one of many Slams had not fallen to both Djokovic, Nadal or Roger Federer who retired two years in the past.
Djokovic’s gorgeous third spherical loss to Alexei Popyrin on the US Open was his earliest exit in New York since 2006.
‘Worst tennis’
“I performed among the worst tennis I’ve ever performed,” admitted a crestfallen Djokovic after his title defence got here to an abrupt finish.
Djokovic’s rollercoaster 12 months has seen him lose his Australian Open title to Sinner who additionally ended his keep as world primary, a lofty standing he had loved for a mixed 428 weeks.
Alcaraz, 16 years his junior, succeeded him as French Open champion after Djokovic withdrew from his scheduled quarter-final with a knee harm which required surgical procedure.
Alcaraz then blew the Serb off court docket to defend his Wimbledon crown earlier than Sinner swept to the US Open title.
The difficulty for Djokovic is that his aura of invincibility has crumbled.
Popyrin was so unmoved by his New York victory that he described his Montreal Masters triumph earlier in the summertime as being “approach larger” than defeating a participant extensively thought to be the best of all time.
When Sinner swept Taylor Fritz off court docket in a brutally one-sided US Open last, he grew to become the primary man since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the identical season.
That may be a feat that eluded Federer, Djokovic, Nadal in addition to Pete Sampras and Agassi.
Two years Sinner’s junior, Alcaraz already has 4 Grand Slam titles to his title.
“It is good to see new champions. Good to see new rivalries,” stated Sinner in New York.
“I’ll at all times have gamers who’re going to make me a greater participant, as a result of there are going to be instances the place they beat me.
“Then it’s a must to attempt to discover a approach easy methods to win in opposition to sure gamers.”
The 23-year-old beanpole Italian has six titles this 12 months whereas second-ranked Alcaraz has 4.
Alcaraz is making Grand Slam historical past quicker than Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
100 titles?
Not one of the three legends managed to win 4 majors earlier than their twenty second birthday.
Djokovic didn’t win his fourth Slam till the 2011 US Open, when he was 24.
Nadal was 22 when he earned his fourth on the French Open in 2008 whereas Federer was 23 when he collected a fourth main on the 2004 US Open.
Alcaraz may declare a profession Grand Slam whereas nonetheless 21 if he wins a maiden Australian Open in January subsequent 12 months.
Regardless of the gloomy forecast, Djokovic nonetheless has targets on the horizon — ought to he seize the Shanghai Masters this weekend, he’d grow to be simply the third man to win 100 profession titles.
He described that objective as “further motivation”.
“My love for tennis won’t ever fade away,” stated the world quantity 4.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by EDNBOX workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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