Novak Djokovic handed setback that could derail his Wimbledon chances
Novak Djokovic has not played a competitive tennis match since he was dumped out of the third round of Roland Garros by Joao Fonseca, but he has suffered a ranking blow which could hamper his chances at Wimbledon.
Djokovic is not expected to play an event until Wimbledon, keeping up with his sporadic schedule of only playing high-profile events in 2026.
The Serbian has played the Australian Open, Indian Wells, the Italian Open, and Roland Garros this year, with his best effort coming in Melbourne, where he reached the final.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion will likely return at Wimbledon, but his chances of winning the Grand Slam have been dealt a blow as he has fallen down the rankings.
After the events of ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Stuttgart, Djokovic has fallen to World No. 8 in the ATP Tour rankings following Medvedev’s semi-final appearance at the Dutch event.
| ATP Rankings | Ranking Points |
| 1. Jannik Sinner | 13,500 |
| 2. Carlos Alcaraz | 9,960 |
| 3. Alexander Zverev | 7,190 |
| 4. Felix Auger-Aliassime | 4,390 |
| 5. Ben Shelton | 4,070 |
| 6. Alex de Minaur | 4,060 |
| 7. Daniil Medvedev (+1) | 3,810 |
| 8. Novak Djokovic (-1) | 3,760 |
| 9. Taylor Fritz | 3,635 |
| 10. Flavio Cobolli | 3,540 |
Medvedev has soared above Djokovic in the rankings and that could mean the Serbian has a rougher ride of it when he returns to action at Wimbledon.
Djokovic is predicted to stay between World No. 7 and World No. 9 no matter the results of Queen’s and Halle, and he currently sits at his lowest ranking since November 2022.
As Djokovic sits outside the top four of the rankings, he could play one of the Grand Slam’s top seeds – Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, or Felix Auger-Aliassime – as early as the quarter-finals of the event, which could be a worry for the man who has claimed seven Wimbledon titles.
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Many consider Wimbledon to be Djokovic’s best, and potentially last, chance to claim that long-awaited 25th Grand Slam, and he will likely not be fazed by his current ranking.
Djokovic was ranked outside the top four for both the US Open and Wimbledon last year, and he ended up making the semi-finals of each of the Grand Slams.
Nevertheless, Djokovic’s lack of action on the ATP Tour is clearly starting to catch up with him in terms of rankings. His early defeats at Indian Wells, the Italian Open, and Roland Garros certainly didn’t help either.
However, the tennis legend’s recent record at Wimbledon speaks for itself. The Serbian has reached the quarter-finals or later at every event since 2017.
That run includes four victories and two final appearances, so the star will be hoping to relay on muscle memory at the Grand Slam.
