Novak Djokovic says he is not surprised at all by some of the chatter and headlines that have come in the wake of his Wimbledon final defeat as the 37-year-old Serb believes there are many people who are rooting for him to drop in his game and lose his status as one of the top players in the world.
Although Djokovic made all four Grand Slam finals last year and won three Majors, he has been hearing throughout 2024 that the new era in tennis is starting and that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are now the players to beat.
And after Alcaraz routinely handled Djokovic 6-2 6-2 7-6 (4) in the Wimbledon final, some were quick to use the match as the biggest proof yet that the 37-year-old Serb has gone from being chased to chasing others and that it won’t be easy at all for him to win another Slam.
When asked about some of the media narratives and fans’ claims, the record 24-time Grand Slam champion sounded like he pretty much expected it to happen after his Wimbledon final loss.
It is logical for people to talk about these things now; it seems there is always a need for headlines of this kind and grandiose news. Many people are not satisfied with me remaining at the top, so they will be eager for that change to occur,” Djokovic told Sport Klub.
Then, Djokovic also noted that he has been dealing with all kinds of pressure and narratives throughout his career and has still managed to come out on top many times.
“That is an intrinsic part of my sporting career, and I always manage to work, perform, and live with it. Obviously, the more important the tournament in which I lose, the more media coverage it will have,” Djokovic said.
Djokovic shuts down retirement talk
This year, Djokovic is only 23-7 – which is a far cry from his dominance and results from the past several years. And since he doesn’t have a title yet in 2024, some have also been issuing claims that the 37-year-old should strongly consider retirement. To no one’s surprise, those talks only increased after Djokovic’s Wimbledon final loss.
However, the Serb seems unbothered by the retirement claims as he insists he mentally feels well and definitely plans to continue his career and return to Wimbledon next year.
“I would like to come back here. I don’t have anything else in my thoughts right now, that this is my last Wimbledon. I wanna play, at least, whatever I don’t know. I don’t have any limitations in my mind. I still want to keep going and play as long as I feel I can play on this high level,” Djokovic noted.
Djokovic underlined that he will have to figure out something going forward
While Djokovic is doing his best to shut down some of the claims that have been made about his game and career, that didn’t prevent him from very honestly admitting that he is currently not on the level of Alcaraz and Sinner. After making that admission, Djokovic noted that he wasn’t interested in complaining about it but would instead focus on what he could do to change that and have bigger chances of beating Alcaraz and Sinner in the near future.
Being able to reach the final of Wimbledon gives a great confidence boost. But I also feel like in a matchup today against the best player in the world right now for sure, other than Jannik, both of them are the best this year by far… I feel like I’m not at that level,” Djokovic said in his post-Wimbledon final press conference.
“In order to really have a chance to beat these guys in the Grand Slam latter stages or Olympics, I’m gonna have to play much better than I did today and feel much better than I did today. It’s not something I haven’t experienced before in my life.. in the face of adversity, normally I rise, learn, & get stronger. That’s what I’m going to do.”
On July 26th, the Paris Olympics are starting and that could be the game-changer for Djokovic. Over the course of his career, the 37-year-old Serb has pretty much won and achieved everything possible but one thing is missing – an Olympic gold medal.
And if he manages to win his first Olympic gold medal from this position, it could certainly instantly revive Djokovic’s season and provide him with a massive boost of confidence ahead of the US Open.
It will be interesting to see if Djokovic meets Alcaraz or Sinner at the Paris Olympics and how far he can go there.
