How many Grand Slam titles will Novak Djokovic win before he retires?

Shahida Jacobs
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Novak Djokovic with French Open trophy
Novak Djokovic celebrates winning the 2023 French Open

Grand Slam No 24 is next on Novak Djokovic’s list of trophies to win, but the big question on the tennis community’s mind after his record-breaking French Open weekend is: how many majors will he win before he retires?

For many it is difficult to put down an exact figure as the 36-year-old seems to be getting better each year.

Yet it wasn’t too long ago that many seemed to have written Djokovic off as he was well adrift of the Grand Slam record for men in the Open Era.

When Roger Federer won his 20th Grand Slam at the 2018 Australian Open, Djokovic was eight behind, but when Rafael Nadal joined Federer on 20 majors at the 2020 French Open, the Serbian had already made up rapid ground as he was on 17.

After winning the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon in 2021, Djokovic joined his two great rivals on 20 majors before Nadal edged ahead again the following year with titles in Melbourne and Roland Garros. However, Djokovic drew level again after winning Wimbledon last year and the Australian Open at the start of the year.

Title No 23 and the outright record for most Grand Slams won by a man in the Open Era came on Sunday as he Casper Ruud in the French Open final.

Speaking during a Eurosport post-match broadcast, seven-time major champion Mats Wilander gave his take on the number of Slams that Djokovic could end up winning

“It’s unbelievable,” the Swede said. “We always spoke about, will it [a 23rd Grand Slam title] happen? He couldn’t have done it without Roger (Federer) and Rafa pushing him.

“It’s incredible that he can be injury-free, good every day, every surface. It’s just amazing. He is so far from being done, it seems. He is a pretty heavy favourite for Wimbledon and the US Open. I would like to know where it stops because he could get 26, 27 titles.”

Before Sunday’s final, Wilander’s fellow tennis great and broadcaster John McEnroe was asked about the greatest player of all time, but he decided to sit on the fence.

However, he highlighted the Serbian’s mentality as one of his greatest tools.

“I have the cop-out thing: think Nadal is the best ever on clay, Novak is the best on hard courts and Roger is the best ever, the most beautiful, on grass,” he said. “That’s what I would say so you get a little bit of all of them in there.

“But Djokovic has a winning record against all of them, he’s been world No 1 more and he’s still going so strong. It’s incredible this guy, he’s like a human backboard.

“It’s a little bit like Serena Williams in the way she wouldn’t play for four, six months and then go and win a couple of majors. I think it’s pretty obvious that’s all he cares about; he embraces the idea, which is hard to do, that I want to be the all-time greatest, I want to hold all the records.

“That puts more pressure on you. I look at him at 36, I don’t know how he’s so great still physically and mentally.”

READ MORE: Novak Djokovic ‘ended the debate’ over the GOAT after 23rd Grand Slam

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