Novak Djokovic’s body has given up, will he follow suit?
The tears flowed over the weekend. Two legends of the game, standing at different junctures of their illustrious careers. Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer was in a much happier space, being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, reminiscing about what he has achieved and “still writing my love letter to tennis” as he put it. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the…
In a heartbreaking turn of events, tennis legend Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in 20 years at the US Open on Sunday, falling in the first round. The 39-year-old Serbian, who had been on a remarkable streak of 78 straight Grand Slam first-round victories since 2006, now faces an uncertain future. Djokovic's struggles this year have been physical, with vomiting on court, late-match cramps, and back pain becoming all too familiar.
Despite reaching the Australian Open final and Wimbledon semi-finals this year, Djokovic admits he is no longer up to the task of competing at the highest level. His desire to finally silence the GOAT debate with a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title seems to have taken its toll, as his body has given up. Federer, Djokovic's former rival and friend, believes the Serbian's obsession with the record may border on the delusional.
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