Novak Djokovic, the winningest player of all time, has not had his career done well. And despite losing a step or two, he’s still world number 5, and he’s heading to the Nitto ATP Finals – for the 18th time.
Okay, okay. And Novak Djokovic type A 38-year-old feature. It would be surprising to want to be as good as you once were. He is not. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Winner are now both better than him. Gone are the days when he was a true favorite in every match that didn’t feature Rafael Nadal on clay.
Lately, you are often injured, sick, or tired. In 2025, he lost official matches to the likes of Alejandro Tabilo, Jakub Mensik, Hubi Hurkacz, and Valentin Vaperot. And yet he earned a place in the Tour finals for the 18th time. And yet, he is still the No. 1 player. 5 in the world – managed to manage one title in 2024 and 2025. And yet, he is still in the conversation.
You see, Djokovic has done a “however” job. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were once masters of men’s tennis. Djokovic was so good, he was so prepared that he went toe to toe with the other two goats – he fought the title from them. This feat is perhaps the most unique because he did it as a villain in a Fedal superhero. Maybe I’m being a little pushy, but it seems like there’s credit being given by people who would love for you to fail at everything meaningful. He left no other option but to admit that in fact, the best.
So how did you manage this year? However, the Serb has literally been pushed back and cleared his way in 2025. He often came out on top, only to make his way to the semifinals when it really counted. Was it a little thread – a-dope? Honestly, I’m not going to get rid of it completely. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying he was waking up to his fatigue or injury. What I’m saying is that you’re smart enough to know that winning against a sick opponent requires the kind of mental discipline that most players can’t manage well. Not when the boy on the other side of the net is the goat. And so I think it’s a lot less … reaching for his development than his cohesion than it might have been.
But it’s not just the yarn—it’s dope. DJokovic and other members of the BIG 3 were not ones to give up easily. Djokovic knows how to suffer. You can play through pain, fatigue, and yes. Cleaning up. And he is better enough than everyone else that even playing djokolovic at 60% strength is good enough to get to the semifals of all the majors. And good enough for his 18th tour. Favorite? Don’t get too close. Are you a character? Yup. It’s a guarantee.
