Novak Djokovic, the winningest player of all time, is not quite done with his career yet. And despite losing a few steps, he’s still No. 5 in the world and still on his way to the Nitto ATP Finals – for the 18th time.
Okay, fine. Novak Djokovic does kind of a factor at age 38. It would be unfair to say he’s as good as he ever was. He’s not. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are now both consistently better than him. Gone are the days when he was the literal favorite in every match in which Rafael Nadal wasn’t also playing on the clay.
Lately he has often been injured, sick or tired. In 2025, he has lost legitimate matches to the likes of Alejandro Tabilo, Jakub Mensik, Hubi Hurkacz and Valentin Vacherot. And yet he has reached the tour final for the 18th time. And yet he is still the number 5 player in the world – a feat he achieved with one title in both 2024 and 2025. And yet he is still talking.
You see, Djokovic has made a career out of “and yet”. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal once had a stranglehold on men’s tennis. Djokovic became so good, so fierce, that he took on the other two GOATs – and took the title away from them. This feat is perhaps even more extraordinary because he did it as the Fedal superhero villain. Maybe I’m projecting a bit, but it seems like the credit given grudgingly by people who would have preferred to see you fail is all the more meaningful. He left no choice but to admit that he is, in fact, the best.
How did he do it this year? After all, the Serbian has literally limped and vomited his way through 2025. He often seemed completely exhausted, only to reach the semi-finals when it really mattered. Was it a bit of rope-a-dope? To be honest, I wouldn’t rule it out completely. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying he was faking his fatigue or injuries. What I’m saying is that he’s smart enough to know that winning against a sick opponent requires a kind of mental discipline that many players can’t quite handle. Not when the man on the other side of the net is the GOAT. And so I think he’s a little more… forthright with his weaknesses than he otherwise would be.
But it’s not JUST rope-a-dope. Djokovic and the other members of the Big 3 did not become who they were by giving up easily. Djokovic knows how to suffer. He knows how to play with pain, fatigue and yes. Vomiting. And he’s better enough than everyone else that even a Djokovic playing at 60% capacity is good enough to reach the semifinals of any major. And good enough for his 18th tour final. Is he the favorite? Not even close. Is he a factor? Yes. Certainly.
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