Is Djokovic able to summon the warrior energy needed to take on Sinner and the Alcaraz generation?
Archie Moore, the world champion and the best light-heavyweight of all time, was 47 years old at the time and did a better job than anybody else at explaining why so many sports immortals choose not to pass away peacefully.
The allure of families and a carefree life was overwhelming at this moment. Moore loved spending time with his young kids lest they forget that love and life go hand in hand, and he was aware of his wife’s need for him to retire. However, the idea of fighters half his age desiring his belts made him feel like a warrior again.
There, he remarked, I’m still the old mongoose trying to outhit and outsmart the younger guys. Like that intoxicated guy in the bar who keeps asking for one more to go. I want to add only one more knockout to my record before moving on to the next one. Some believe that a man retiring unbeaten is a wonderful thing. A champion, however, ought to fight to the very end and exit the ring with the same cockswain. It’s the right exit, and I believe I may be on it.
Moore continued in this manner for a further three years, facing all comers, including a teenage Muhammad Ali, before he eventually retired at the age of 50 following his 186th career victory.
As I watched Novak Djokovic lose shockingly to world No. 123 Luca Nardi at Indian Wells last week, I was reminded of Moore’s words. And once again when Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the two youthful rivals for his No. 1 ranking, faced off on Saturday night. Alcaraz prevailed in that match in three sets before thrashing Daniil Medvedev 7-6, 6-1 in the Sunday final.
Along with it came a question that would keep coming up time and time again: how long can Djokovic muster the warrior energy to continue winning numerous grand slam titles annually?
It wasn’t just that Djokovic lost to Nardi in a major event, suffering the worst loss of his career. It was the way he lost his third game in eleven in 2024. The Serb is the best when it comes to crunch situations. However, in the pivotal final set against Nardi, he reverted to catenaccio tennis, hitting just two winners and two unforced errors. In contrast, his opponent made 16 forced errors and only 4 winners.
There was also another item. In general, tennis’s iron man makes more of an impression the longer the point. However, Djokovic only prevailed in 13 of the 37 rallies that lasted nine strokes or longer versus Nardi. He later politely conceded that his opponent was deserving of the victory. Tellingly, though, he went on to say, My level was extremely, really bad. I committed some extremely awful inadvertent mistakes.
The remarks Djokovic made following his four-set loss to Sinner at the Australian Open, in which he committed 54 unforced errors, were reminiscent of what was said at the time. He remarked, I was kind of astonished by my level, in a negative manner.
It is premature to talk about the torch being transferred to the next generation, at least not just yet. However, it seems like the tennis gods are reaching for kerosene and a lighter—possibly for the first time.
Before Indian Wells, Djokovic addressed the matter, expressing his sorrow about the end of tennis’s golden age, which included him, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray.
He stated that we are all aware that those times will arrive for us all. But when they do, and you realize that’s it, that Roger has called it quits, and that Rafa and I won’t be playing much longer, it’s terrible to see a chapter of our lives come to a close.
Some may point out that Djokovic just won the ATP Finals at the end of the season and three grand slam titles last year. While he has previously struggled in the early going of the season, losing to Japanese star Taro Daniel at Indian Wells in 2018, but he has bounced back to win grand slam titles. And that he now focuses the most of his attention on the slam competitions.
All of that being said, Djokovic, who turns 37 in May, will not be able to elude father time indefinitely. That is beginning to show in the bookies’ odds. Alcaraz is the clear favorite at the French Open, and some have even given the Spaniard the fewest odds to win Wimbledon again, as he did in a thrilling five-set match against Djokovic last year. Yes, Sinner and he both have respect for the Serb. They don’t fear him, though.
Meanwhile, Djokovic said on Saturday that he would not be participating in this week’s Miami Open, which he has won six times. He gave this explanation: At this point in my career, I’m balancing my private and professional calendar.James Blake, the tournament director, implied in a later tweet that the Serb had chosen to prioritize his family.
That makes perfect sense. It is, in fact, commendable. It also buys him more time to gather himself and fan the flames of competition once more. Those who follow Djokovic closely may recall that he acknowledged losing motivation following his 2016 career grand slam victory at the French Open. For the following two years, he was without a major victory. Surely, the disappointment of the Nardi loss will motivate him once more.
Whatever transpires next, one thing is for sure: watching the game’s elder dragon attempt to outsmart and outplay the younger players in an attempt to win one more grand slam trophy will make this year’s French Open and Wimbledon considerably more exciting than usual.
