Is this Djokovic's last chance to win a final Grand Slam?

SIX HUNDRED AND sixty-two days person passed since Novak Djokovic past won a large title.

That day, successful September of 2023, was a history-clinching show astatine the US Open, successful which helium defeated Daniil Medvedev to necktie Margaret Court's longstanding record for the astir Grand Slam singles titles of each clip with 24.

It seemed each but definite that Djokovic would yet assertion the outright record.

Since then, Rafael Nadal, his top rival, has retired from the sport, leaving Djokovic arsenic the lone remaining subordinate of the Big Three. (Roger Federer, the different member, retired successful 2022.) The present 38-year-old Djokovic has reached a Wimbledon final, made 3 different large semifinals and adjacent won Olympic gold, but the coveted grounds remains elusive. After losing to Jannik Sinner successful the semifinals astatine the French Open past month, helium was affectional arsenic helium walked disconnected the court. He aboriginal told reporters it "could person been the past lucifer ever" helium would play astatine the tourney and hinted astatine his ain retirement.

Even without mentioning his inevitable extremity successful the sport, determination already was a looming question people implicit each large helium played. But by making it wide that helium knew it too, there's astir a countdown timepiece connected his imagination and his accidental to unafraid tennis immortality. And present astatine Wimbledon, an lawsuit successful which helium has won 7 times, galore of those astir the crippled person publically speculated that this fortnight is his champion -- and possibly last -- accidental to triumph large rubric No. 25.

Now into the 3rd circular aft clinically defeating Dan Evans, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0, connected Thursday, and aft looking mostly ascendant successful his archetypal 2 matches, the No. 6-seeded Djokovic's play has supported this claim. And helium hasn't hidden that helium knows it too.

"Whether it could beryllium my past dance, I'm not sure, arsenic I'm not definite astir Roland Garros oregon immoderate different Slam that I play next," Djokovic said during his property league earlier the tourney got underway.

He added helium wanted to support playing, but admitted helium was unsure helium would beryllium capable to.

"And yes, I would astir apt hold that Wimbledon could beryllium the champion accidental due to the fact that of the results I [have] had, due to the fact that of however I feel, however I play successful Wimbledon, conscionable getting that other propulsion mentally and information to, yeah, execute the champion tennis astatine the highest level."

For now, 5 matches -- and perchance his 2 biggest rivals of the infinitesimal successful Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz -- basal successful his way. If helium were to bash it, helium would go the oldest subordinate successful the Open epoch to triumph a Slam, and helium would lucifer Roger Federer for the astir men's singles titles astatine the All England Club. Twenty years aft making his debut astatine the tournament, truthful overmuch is successful his favour and the stakes are higher than ever. Can helium bash it?

TO BE CLEAR, Djokovic does not person to triumph different lucifer to unafraid his spot among the sport's greatest.

His resume already speaks for itself. He has much large titles than immoderate antheral successful past and has spent an ATP grounds of 428 weeks ranked astatine No. 1, including holding the year-end favoritism 8 times. He has 40 Masters-1000 titles and 100 ATP trophies overall, won the ATP Finals crown 7 times, has 2 Olympic medals, including a much-desired gold helium secured past summertime successful Paris, and the database goes connected and on. For many, Djokovic firmly cemented his presumption arsenic the champion ever aft the triumph successful New York 2 years ago.

"There volition ever beryllium watercooler debates, but it's going to beryllium tough, and overmuch much difficult, for anyone to reason successful immoderate different absorption extracurricular of Novak being the top of each clip with him astatine 24," James Blake, the erstwhile satellite No. 4 and existent analyst, told ESPN astatine the time.

But adjacent if others didn't request immoderate much convincing, Djokovic made it wide helium wanted to proceed playing and winning arsenic galore titles arsenic possible. After helium finished the 2023 play with different ATP Finals rubric and the year-end apical ranking, helium told reporters helium had adjacent loftier goals for 2024.

"Well, you tin triumph 4 Slams and an Olympic gold," Djokovic said. "I person ever the highest ambitions and goals. That's not going to beryllium antithetic for the adjacent twelvemonth ... Motivation, particularly for the biggest tournaments successful sport, is inactive present. It inactive inspires maine to support going."

Of course, destiny -- and Sinner and Alcaraz -- had different ideas. Djokovic mislaid to Sinner successful the semifinals astatine the 2024 Australian Open and had to retreat up of the quarterfinals astatine the French Open to acquisition country for a torn medial meniscus successful his close knee. He returned to Wimbledon and adjacent made the last -- his sixth successful a enactment -- but lost, for the 2nd consecutive year, to Alcaraz. He achieved his lifelong imagination of winning Olympic golden with an electrical triumph implicit Alcaraz and past was stunned successful the 3rd circular of the US Open by Alexei Popyrin.

Djokovic appeared to beryllium successful near-peak signifier astatine the Australian Open successful January, beating Alcaraz successful 4 sets successful the quarterfinals, and past had to discontinue aft the opening acceptable of his semifinal owed to a hamstring injury. Throughout his struggles, Djokovic has spoken openly astir his waning information and however hard it's been to proceed with Nadal, Federer and Andy Murray nary longer connected tour.

Since Djokovic's triumph astatine the US Open, Sinner, 23, and Alcaraz, 22, person combined to triumph each major. Djokovic has had immoderate occurrence implicit the past twelvemonth against Alcaraz, but helium has been winless successful each 3 meetings against Sinner since the commencement of 2024.

The duo has established themselves arsenic the New Big Two, with Djokovic connected the outside, looking to propulsion disconnected the upset -- overmuch similar helium was earlier successful his vocation against the then-more established Federer and Nadal. But Djokovic said that mattered small to him and his attack entering majors.

"In a consciousness you're ever hunting due to the fact that you're ever going for the titles -- successful my besides privileged presumption -- the records and much history," Djokovic said connected Saturday. "I bash consciousness that I'm ever successful that presumption of going for thing with the cognition of trying to triumph alternatively than trying to support ... I would accidental it's somewhat antithetic for maine present successful presumption of, I don't pursuit the rankings anymore successful that regard, [but] I'm trying to play the champion tennis successful Grand Slams and trying to triumph Grand Slams. That hasn't changed. It inactive stays the same."

Through 2 matches astatine Wimbledon this week, and peculiarly successful his second-round victory, Djokovic has displayed an progressively precocious level of tennis. He was relentless successful his overpowering of the British Evans with an 89% triumph percent connected archetypal service and 46 winners (to Evans' 19) successful the 1 hr and 47-minute clash.

"The bottommost enactment is, it's beauteous evident wherefore he's arsenic bully arsenic helium is connected that court," Evans said aft the match. "He played bully tennis and showed everybody connected Centre Court wherefore he's a contender."

Djokovic told the assemblage aft the lucifer helium executed his crippled program for the lucifer "perfectly" and said it was 1 of those days "where everything goes your way." With the win, helium precocious to the Round of 32 astatine Wimbledon for the 19th time. He volition adjacent look chap Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic connected Saturday, with a spot successful the 2nd week connected the enactment and a accidental for his 100th vocation triumph astatine the All England Club. Djokovic has won each 3 of their erstwhile meetings, including astatine Wimbledon successful 2022.

GRASS HAS ALWAYS been good suited for Djokovic's playing benignant and it remains the aboveground successful which helium has the biggest advantage.

Though helium didn't play connected the aboveground arsenic a child, oregon adjacent arsenic a junior, helium has managed to accommodate his movement, and masterfully utilizes his flexibility and footwork to screen the court. In summation to his beardown service and return, which are evident benefits, helium tin grip the low-bouncing conditions and differing velocity of the writer amended than astir anyone. While immoderate players person said the tribunal velocity astatine Wimbledon has slowed successful caller years, Djokovic said connected Thursday that writer remains the fastest surface, but added helium believes the shot utilized has changed the gait of play somewhat. He's seemingly adjusted nary substance however accelerated oregon dilatory the tribunal whitethorn be.

Grass is besides the softest and absorbs interaction otherwise than the others -- thing that could surely payment an aging subordinate with caller limb injuries.

But possibly astir adjuvant to him of all, Djokovic has the acquisition connected the aboveground that fewer others do. The writer play is undoubtedly the shortest information of the calendar -- with conscionable implicit 3 weeks separating the extremity of the French Open and the commencement of Wimbledon -- truthful fewer apical players enactment successful much than 2 warm-up events and some, for varying reasons, play nary astatine all. With specified a abbreviated model each year, it tin beryllium hard for players to ever genuinely consciousness comfy connected the surface, arsenic evidenced by the rash of top-seeded players who person been upset successful the archetypal 2 rounds of play.

"I don't cognize erstwhile the extremity is coming but I deliberation his champion accidental is connected grass," said Andy Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion and erstwhile satellite No. 1, connected a caller occurrence of his "Served" podcast. "I deliberation his crippled arsenic it stands presently -- not Novak from 5 years agone -- but arsenic it stands currently, I deliberation helium gets the astir payment from the aboveground connected writer now. And helium knows what to bash with it."

If Djokovic were to triumph connected Saturday, helium would apt look No. 11 effect Alex de Minaur successful the 4th round. While No. 4 effect and British favourite Jack Draper was Djokovic's presumed quarterfinal opponent, Draper mislaid successful the 2nd circular connected Thursday to unseeded Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion. While Cilic oregon Jakub Mensik, the No. 15 effect and rising teenage star, are present imaginable foes successful the quarters, Djokovic's gully feels much favorable successful Draper's absence. Sinner would apt await successful the semifinals, and portion Sinner has gotten the amended of Djokovic successful their caller meetings, he's ne'er precocious past the signifier astatine Wimbledon before, and mislaid successful his lone lead-in lawsuit successful the Round of 16.

If Djokovic were to marque it to the title match, helium could acceptable up a third-consecutive Wimbledon last against Alcaraz, the undisputed favourite to triumph the title. While it would beryllium hard to decision Sinner and Alcaraz back-to-back connected 1 of the sport's grandest stages, it would not beryllium impossible.

"He's not astatine the levels of Carlos and Jannik, particularly successful the past 18 months, due to the fact that the numbers talk for themselves, but the mode helium played against Sinner [at the French Open] amazed me," erstwhile satellite No. 12 Feliciano López said successful a caller interrogation with Sky Sports. "He challenged Sinner and pushed him to the bounds and, though the spread is inactive big, I spot the writer arsenic the lone spot for him to get to this level that they play due to the fact that the writer is precise different. Djokovic proved that helium tin inactive vie astatine this level [and] helium volition person a amended accidental connected grass."

A pupil and instrumentality of the game, there's small 1 tin archer Djokovic astir his chances oregon what's astatine involvement that helium doesn't already know. But arsenic helium basked successful the adoration of the fans and the sunshine connected Thursday afternoon, helium admitted helium doesn't let himself to deliberation overmuch astir what he's already achieved -- alternatively redeeming that for a time successful the aboriginal successful which helium tin "sip margaritas connected the formation with Federer and Nadal and conscionable reflect" -- but helium is focused connected what's instantly successful beforehand of him.

"Wimbledon inactive stays the astir peculiar tourney successful my heart, the 1 that I ever dreamed of winning erstwhile I was a kid, truthful immoderate past made present is evidently other peculiar for me," Djokovic said. "It's the opening of the tournament, truthful yes, I'm alert of the past connected the enactment and I'm evidently successful a privileged presumption to bash that, but astatine the aforesaid time, I'm reasoning astir the large things that I tin marque successful this tournament."