Novak Djokovic’s search for a 25th Grand Slam singles title has been described as a “false target” – with the Serbian told he is “not in competition” with Margaret Court.
World No 6 Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slam singles titles across his career, the most of any male player before or during the Open Era, which started in 1968.
The Serbian won his most recent Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open but has reached just one major final since then, losing to Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon in 2024.
Djokovic has reached the semi-final of all three Grand Slam tournaments played in 2025, though he was forced to retire injured against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open.
He was then beaten by world No 1 Jannik Sinner in straight sets at the French Open, before again losing to the Italian in three sets at Wimbledon earlier this month.
Many have questioned if the Serbian’s major-winning days are behind him, or if he can become the first player in tennis history to win 25 Grand Slam singles titles.
Djokovic is currently level with Court on 24 titles, with the Australian’s major women’s singles titles spread across 1960-73.
Renowned tennis historian Steve Flink is the latest to discuss Djokovic’s Grand Slam hopes, speaking on Gil Gross’ YouTube channel.
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While questioning the 38-year-old’s long-term future in the sport, Flink insisted that it was a “false argument” to claim that Djokovic should be competing against Court’s 52-year-old milestone.
“I think Novak can accept these three semi-finals – he’s a little disappointed but still proud of that,” said Flink.
“If he gets to New York and suffers a surprise loss in the fourth round, I think he might seriously wonder if it’s all worth it. ‘How will things improve next year? I’ll be 39; why would my body respond better?’
“What I don’t understand is his pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam. It makes sense in terms of surpassing Margaret Court.
“But it’s a false argument, a false target. Mainly from the media, because they constantly place his photo next to Margaret’s.
“He’s not in competition with Margaret Court because she isn’t even in the conversation for the greatest female player of all time. She’s far from it.
“Every expert would rank [Martina] Navratilova, [Steffi] Graf, Serena Williams, and [Chris] Evert above Margaret.”
Court is one of just 10 women in history to complete the Career Grand Slam and claimed the Calendar Grand Slam in 1970, a feat only Steffi Graf has repeated since.
However, the Australian won 13 of her 24 Grand Slam singles titles before the Open Era, the point usually considered the cutoff for modern tennis records.
Court also won 11 of her 24 titles at the Australian Championships, later the Australian Open, at a time when the majority of the world’s top players skipped the event due to travel concerns.
While undeniably a great of the game, Flink – a Hall of Fame inductee – believes it is incorrect to compare Djokovic’s career to the Australian’s.
Flink added: “She [Court] won many Australian Opens without real competition.
“I don’t mean to disparage her, but many of those draws were very weak because, often in those years, Billie Jean King or Maria Bueno didn’t even play.
“She could breeze through the draw in ways she never could at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, or the US Open.
“If Novak took a step back to think, he’d realise that the record he always chased was surpassing Rafa and Roger to become the men’s leader.
“Then suddenly, the discussion shifted: he passed them, but could he pass Margaret Court? The 100th title was worth it – it was a relief to get that done. But he doesn’t need this 25th Grand Slam.”
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