Steve Johnson questioned Novak Djokovic’s chances of winning a 25th Grand Slam title. The former American tennis player said on the „Nothing Major“ podcast that, at 39, the Serb would struggle to get through a run of seven matches against his toughest opponents.
His comments came after Djokovic’s elimination in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Paris. Rinky Hijikata won the match 2:1 in sets – 2:6, 6:3, 6:3. The defeat ended Djokovic’s hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals and left him in 12th place in the rankings with 2940 points. This is the first time he has missed the year-end tournament since 2017, when an elbow injury cut his season short.
His last major title came in Paris in 2024
Djokovic’s most recent major trophy is the Olympic title he won in Paris in 2024. Since then, he has lost two Masters 1000 finals and the 2026 Australian Open final. At Wimbledon, the Serb was eliminated in the semifinals after losing to Jannik Sinner.
„To beat Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev, or Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz? I just don’t think he has the strength for that,“ Johnson said, commenting on the obstacles facing Djokovic at Grand Slam tournaments.
The season has not been without strong results
Despite the decline, Djokovic reached the Australian Open final and the Wimbledon quarterfinals. During the season, he recorded wins over Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev.
In October, Djokovic won a tournament in China, earning the 102nd title of his professional career. The results show that he continues to compete at a high level, but according to Johnson, the question remains whether he can win seven consecutive matches at a Grand Slam tournament, including against two of the leading players in the world.