Novak Djokovic told he is ‘a long way’ from winning record breaking 25th Grand Slam title
Novak Djokovic has been warned he is ‘a long way’ from winning a 25th Grand Slam title, even though he reached the final of the Australian Open in January.
Djokovic stunned the tennis world as he rolled back the years to beat Jannik Sinner in an epic five-set semi-final in Melbourne, but he came up short in the final against world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
The 38-year-old also struggled in the early rounds of the tournament in Melbourne and despite that win against Sinner, former WTA Tour player Naomi Cavaday has told Tennis365 that Djokovic faces an uphill struggle to win another major title.
He is currently tied with Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam title wins, sharing the all-time record for one of the most prestigious milestones in the sport.
Djokovic had made no secret of his desire to claim that record for himself before he calls time on his tennis career, but Cavaday admits she would be surprised if he achieves that aim.
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“People think when you get to the final, you’re close, but you’re actually really far away,” Cavaday told Tennis365 at a Sky Sports Tennis event in London.
“I know he made the final of the Australian Open and he did incredibly well to beat Sinner, but he was still a long way away at the end of the day.
“It’s always difficult, you know, when these runs happen and all of these things fell into place for him.
“Okay, if he plays for long enough, there might be another slam where things fall into place for him. But, you know, he was quite far off when it came down to the final two.”
When we asked Cavaday if she doubts whether Djokovic can win a 25th Grand Slam, she added: “Yep. I will happily eat my words if he does, but he was quite far away from winning it and that was at his favourite tournament on his favourite court.
“He was fresh as he could possibly be for that semi-final and it’s not like Sinner was on firing on all cylinders. He was quite off, and, you know, everything fell into place, and he made the final, he did win it.”
Djokovic has suggested his run in Melbourne confirmed he can win at the highest level once again, as he outlined his vision for the rest of 2026.
“I have talked about this the last couple of years, obviously, as I have received many more frequent questions about, you know, how long do I want to play for, what do I play for,” he said ahead of his opening match in Indian Wells.
“Of course, you know, there are objectives and goals that are always there. You want to win, so you want to get another title and get another Slam, hopefully. I was close in Australia.
“Obviously that was an amazing start to the year for me, considering that I haven’t been able to reach the finals since the Wimbledon 2024, and, you know, lost to either Sinner or Alcaraz all of the Slams last year.
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“So it was just an incredible feeling to be able to beat Sinner in five sets in one of the epic matches that I played in recent times in Australia, and then have another great match with Carlos, who was just too good in the end.
“So my logic is why not keep going as long as I have that fire and flair and quality and also motivation to do that. The schedule is unclear, as it was in the last couple of years. You know, it kind of revolves mostly around slams, but I kind of pick and choose where I want to play, where I feel like it’s not just from a tennis standpoint but also emotionally, you know, brand-wise, or whatever it is, you know, that inspires me to come.”
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