A healthy portion of tennis fans believe that Novak Djokovic will end his tennis career without winning another Grand Slam title. The Serb was defeated at Wimbledon by world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz, with the Spaniard threatening to set himself apart from Djokovic and the chasing pack as he continues to mature.
Victory at the French Open earlier this year moved Djokovic to 23 Grand Slam titles – one ahead of Rafael Nadal at the top of the all-time men’s list, and one behind Margaret Court overall.
Many expected the 36-year-old to kick on in south-west London and extend his imperious unbeaten streak at the All England Club. But Alcaraz prevailed in an epic five-set final showdown to knock Djokovic off his perch.
Concerningly for the veteran tennis star, a survey conducted by Express Sport has revealed that a significant proportion of respondents feel that he will finish his career on 23 major titles.
Of 5,348 total respondents, 31 per cent of them feel that Djokovic will fail to add another Grand Slam to his monstrous haul. That represents the most popular option of all on offer, with only 20 per cent backing him to reach 24 and 26 per cent touting 25.
Bowing out without another significant triumph would leave Djokovic’s dream retirement plan in tatters. The seven-time Wimbledon champion recently admitted that his ideal scenario would involve saying goodbye to the sport off the back of a major victory.
The National Bank Open in Toronto was due to be Djokovic’s next tourmament, but he has withdrawn due to fatigue. “I have always enjoyed my time in Canada but after speaking with my team, we believe this is the right decision to take,” he said.
“I would like to thank Karl Hale, the Tournament Director, for understanding this decision. I really hope I can return to Canada and Toronto in the coming years to play in front of great fans there.”