Mumbai: The last time Novak Djokovic played a competitive singles tennis match, he spent quite a while bent down in pain. Often, he vomited into towels as he struggled with the heat and humidity at the Cincinnati Masters.
Yet, he refused to walk away mid-match, losing 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 against world No. 50 Thiago Agustin Tirante in a match that lasted two hours and 44 minutes.
Since then though, he has had a lot more screentime, more so as the subject of the documentary ‘Novak Djokovic: The World in Winter.’
In one particular sequence of the film, he addresses a topic that has been a raging debate across tennis in the past few years.
“I know a lot of people are retiring me already, for many years,” Djokovic said in the documentary.
“Why would you want me to retire when I am still playing and competing at the highest level? I’m still top 5, top 10 in the world. Why would I talk about retirement when I am proving to myself that I can still win?”
As it stands, he is the world No.5. And at the US Open that begins on Sunday, he will compete as the fourth seed. He may not be the overwhelming favourite, yet he remains a player who cannot be written off.
{{/usCountry}}As it stands, he is the world No.5. And at the US Open that begins on Sunday, he will compete as the fourth seed. He may not be the overwhelming favourite, yet he remains a player who cannot be written off.
{{/usCountry}}The last time Djokovic won a Grand Slam was at the US Open in 2023. It was his 24th Major title, bringing him level with Margaret Court for the joint-all-time record. Since then, the 25th Slam has remained elusive, as he has become a step-slower with age, while his biggest opponents today, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, have taken control of the new world order of men’s singles tennis.
Djokovic now wants to produce his best at the Grand Slams. He may not have won a title in his last 11 attempts at the Majors, but his record at the Slams has still been impressive.
Since that triumph in New York in 2023, the Serbian’s Grand Slam results include two third round finishes, one quarter-final, six semi-finals and the 2024 Wimbledon and 2026 Australian Open finals. These results include a walkover (to Casper Ruud in the quarter-final of the French Open in 2024) and a mid-match retirement (against Alexander Zverev at the 2025 Australian Open semi-final). It also includes four defeats to current world No.1 Sinner and three to Alcaraz.
The only anomalies were defeats to then world No. 28 Alexei Popyrin (third round of US Open 2024) and to then world No. 30 Joao Fonseca, in the third round of the French Open earlier this year.
These are performances most players would dream of, but Djokovic holds himself to higher standards.
“Whenever Novak enters any tournament, or a Major, he’ll be in it with a shot. Not just once, not just here, he’s done it every place, and at the highest levels,” Roger Federer, one of Djokovic’s great rivals, said ahead of the US Open. “I always think that as long as he’s in the draw, there’s a chance. That’s one of the reasons he’s still playing, because he truly must believe that he can still do it.”
To better prepare himself for the Slams, Djokovic has actively been truncating his tennis calendar.
In 2024, he played in 12 tournaments, which included the triumph at the Paris Olympics and a single Davis Cup match. In 2025, he played in 13 tournaments. But in an injury-laden 2026, he has played in only three competitions so far, including the opening round loss at Cincinnati.
“It’s just a condition that I have, health-wise, that has been bothering me for the past couple of years,” Djokovic said after losing to Tirante. “(It causes) a lot of issues, especially when it is humid and it is hot.
“I did anticipate it (would be humid), but there are all these things, like nerves and everything involved that make it worse, and that’s what happened.”
He may have to deal with those conditions again, with New York often being hot and humid at this time of the year. As for dealing with nerves though, he is a different beast. He often wins the mental battle before even taking to the court – especially in the gruelling best-of-five set matches. What he’s been struggling with of late though is the physical aspect.
That has led to a few changes to his game style. A defensive baseliner at heart, he no longer prefers longer rallies. And so, he tends to mix-up play, throwing in drop shots and charging up to the net.”
“Survive to thrive,” he said, after reaching the quarter-final at Wimbledon this year. “Hopefully the thriving part is coming.”
Since winning his first Grand Slam title, at the Australian Open in 2008, Djokovic has never gone three consecutive seasons without winning a Major. The US Open will, in one way or another, mark a first for him – either a third season without a Slam, or a new world record.
He will hope the thriving part is indeed coming soon.