Once again at a Grand Slam event, the curtain has come down on the tournament for Novak Djokovic.
You have to go back to 2023 to find Djokovic toasting a Grand Slam success and after his semifinal defeat to Carlos Alcaraz, there are more questions than answers.
Djokovic has been written off in terms of winning another major title, and with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in irresistible form, it does feel like a long shot.
Ryan Harrison expressed sympathy for Djokovic after his crushing defeat to Alcaraz in the semifinal, and it will be interesting to see where the Serbian player goes from here.
Djokovic has been told during the US Open that he’s doing great things at 38, but with each passing year, the elusive 25th Grand Slam title is becoming harder to grab.
Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty ImagesNovak Djokovic posts message on Instagram after US Open exit
Djokovic will now go away and ponder when to make a return to competitive tennis, with the end-of-season ATP Finals likely to be in his sights.
Reaching semifinals at all four of the Grand Slam events is no mean feat, but for a serial winner like Djokovic, it’s unlikely to scratch the itch.
Djokovic looked completely resigned during the third set against Alcaraz and cut the look of a man who knows that his chances of winning major honours are growing slimmer by the month in this sport.
Still, Djokovic is in good spirits, it would seem, and posted a positive message on social media after exiting the tournament at the expense of Alcaraz.
Djokovic would benefit from drop in rankings
This might sound a little bit crazy, but hear us out.
Right now, Djokovic is running into the irresistible Sinner or Alcaraz at the semifinal stage, and the matches are coming when he’s already played five times.
If he were to drop down the rankings and play these two players earlier in major tournaments, he would be fresher in terms of fitness and could make more of a fist of winning these matches.
It does feel like Djokovic will play on a little while longer and now it will be fascinating to see if he can get over the line and get himself to Grand Slam title number 25.