There may only be two more chances left for Novak Djokovic to tick off his last two big targets in tennis.
As he crashed out of the Madrid Open after a sadly predictable defeat against Matteo Arnaldi, the end of the story that is being curated by the most successful male tennis player of all time felt closer than ever.
It has been clear for some time that Djokovic has little or no motivation to play in regular ATP Tour events, but the option of just playing in the Grand Slam events that still motivate him and not entering any other tournaments is not plausible.
If he played just four Grand Slam events a year, Djokovic would quickly become an unseeded player and his hopes of slipping into match-winning mode without any serious match practice after he toasts his 38th birthday next month seem fanciful, even for the greatest of them all.
Djokovic’s slow decline has been in evidence for some time, but he has managed to serve up the odd performance that suggested he was still competitive at the highest level.
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His win at the 2024 Paris Olympics was an example of his enduring brilliance and his win against Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open in January was another example of his flicking abilities to shine against the game’s best.
Yet as Arnaldi added his name to the growing list of unheralded performers who have beaten Djokovic over the last year, even the player who still believes he can win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title appeared to be losing faith in the process.
“After you lose a match, you don’t feel good, but I’ve had a few of these this year where I lose in the first round, unfortunately,” said Djokovic.
“Kind of new reality for me, I have to say. You know, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament. It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis, so it’s kind of a challenge for me mentally to really face this kind of sensation on the court, going out early now regularly in the tournaments.
“I guess, the circle of life and the career (smiling), eventually it was going to happen. Now I’m trying to, you know, use this as a driving force for the future. Obviously, Grand Slams, I was saying many times, are the most important tournaments for me.
“Which doesn’t mean that I don’t want to win here, of course I wanted to, but Grand Slams are where I really want to play the best tennis. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do that in Roland Garros, but I’ll do my best.”
Djokovic’s run to last year’s Wimbledon final and this year’s Australian Open semi-finals will have fuelled his belief that he could still challenge for the title he needs to move past Margaret Court and claim the record for the most Grand Slam wins.
That mindset may already have shifted for Djokovic after the Arnaldi defeat and if he goes out early at Roland Garros and then slips to a defeat at Wimbledon without challenging on grass courts he adores, Djokovic may well conclude the game is up.
He will not want to become a punchbag for younger players he would have beaten with ease in his prime, as while his former rival and now coach Andy Murray seemed happy to battle on against the odds in his final years in tennis after hip surgery, Djokovic does not have the personality to accept a backseat role in the game.
So don’t be surprised if next month’s French Open and Wimbledon represent his final two attempts to get over the winning line to claim a final Grand Slam title and his 100th career title, because what we have seen from Djokovic in regular ATP Tour events over the last year cannot continue for too much longer.
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