Where Does Novak Djokovic Go From Here?

Rafael Nadal put it best in his congratulatory message: “23 is a number that just a few years back was impossible to think about and you made it,’’ said the maestro from Spain with whom Novak Djokovic jointly held the record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles.

Now that the 36-year-old Serb is on the pedestal on his own it is astonishing to note that for many years 12 Grand Slam titles standing in the name of Roy Emerson was the record. The athletic Australian set this mark in the 60s and it stood till the 90s when finally Pete Sampras went past it.

The great American retired with 14 Grand Slam titles at the start of the new millennium and at that time this seemed to be an insurmountable figure.

But then at the start of the 21st Century came Roger Federer, then Nadal and finally Djokovic and they took the game to new levels both with their skills and durability. When Federer reached the magic figure of 20 it seemed hard to see whether anyone would break the record.

But in the space of a few years first Nadal and then Djokovic went past that number, were for a short while perched jointly on top with 22 until Sunday when the Serb took it to a new peak triggering off fresh debates with regards to the GOAT (greatest of all time).

So where does Djokovic go from here? One can be sure that he will not rest on his laurels. He is still hungry for success. Having achieved his objective of going past Nadal he is already thinking of Nos 24 and 25 that will take him past Margaret Court who has the most number of Grand Slam titles for any tennis player, man or woman, with 24.

As he himself summed his aims aptly in an interview some time ago “I don’t have any intention of stopping here. I feel great about my tennis. I know that when I am feeling good physically and mentally I have a chance to win any Grand Slam against anybody. I like my chances going forward.’’

The sport has produced many all time greats but perhaps no one has combined physical and mental strength better than Djokovic. We have seen several examples of this. The most emphatic being his victory at the Australian Open in January this year.

He has notched up innumerable notable triumphs during the last 15 years but he described that victory at Melbourne Park as the “biggest’’ of his career. Given the circumstances this was not an exaggeration.

Having arrived in Australia unvaccinated 12 months ago, Djokovic was deported amid a backlash from angry Australians who had endured some of the world’s toughest lockdowns as Covid–19 infections surged and offered no sympathy for his viewpoint.

The reaction against him was so strong that there were suggestions that Djokovic would not be welcome in Australia again and that his triumphs at the Australian Open would remain at nine titles. But back he came and triumphed again this time to thunderous applause from a packed crowd at the Rod Laver arena.

Not surprisingly he described it as “one of the most challenging tournaments I have played in my life considering the circumstances. Not playing last year, coming back this year I want to thank all the people that made me feel welcome and comfortable.’’

If Djokovic’s achievement in the Australian Open appeared to be straight out of the fiction books, no less unbelievable is his latest feat given the records that accompany it. Whereas becoming the oldest French Open champion is a tribute to his fitness and longevity becoming the only player to win all the four Grand Slams at least thrice is a testimony to his sublime court craft.

Like good wine he is getting better with age. Since turning 30 in May 2017 he has won eleven of the 21 Grand Slams he has competed in. This is also the third time the Serb has clinched the first two Majors of the season, the earlier ones being in 2016 and 2021.

While his record at Grand Slams will remain his crowning glory Djokovic’s greatness also revolves around his incredible run around the ATP Circuit. With 94 titles he is joint third with Ivan Lendl and behind only Jimmy Connors (109) and Federer (103).

He has won the ATP Tour finals a record six times. Also for some years the Big Three of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have been challenged by a group of prodigiously talented youngsters termed as the GenNext.

Now with Federer retired and the injured Nadal on his way out – he has already hinted that 2024 could be his last year on the circuit – Djokovic remains the standard-bearer for the ageing super stars continuing to dominate even as the GenNext list of players is growing. Casper Ruud who lost to him at Roland Garros on Sunday is one among them as also is Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz, Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune and Andrey Rublev.

The Roland Garros triumph has seen him regain the top ranking yet another time extending his record to a total of 388 weeks as the world No 1. To be the most talked about tennis player in the world after 20 years on the circuit is perhaps the greatest tribute to Djokovic.

For long, compared to Federer and Nadal, he was considered “cold and aloof’’. It was felt he lacked the charisma of the two others who are endearing personalities and that’s why his popularity remained below theirs despite his monumental achievements. Not any more.