'If that inner conviction is gone, the body follows' - Patrick Mouratoglou on whether Novak Djokovic can still win a Grand Slam title

Although tennis superstar Novak Djokovic admitted to shifting his focus to Grand Slams in 2023, the Serbian superstar is yet to win a major title in two years. And with the emergence of a younger power duo in tennis, the 38-year old may be struggling with his self-belief, according to renown French coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Djokovic won his last major title at the 2023 US Open, where he defeated Russian Daniil Medvedev to win his record-extending 24th Grand Slam singles title. The Serbian became the oldest US Open men's singles champion in the Open Era.

However, Djokovic has failed to win a major title since his triumph in New York. Standing in his way are two of the brightest stars tennis has seen since the Big Three era, with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz dominating the last eight Grand Slam tournaments.

Despite taking on a reduced schedule in a bid to conserve his body for the more grueling Grand Slam events, Djokovic has not been able to claim that elusive 25th major title. The Serbian reached the semifinal at all four Grand Slams this year, but was unable to get past his younger opponents at each event.

Djokovic's self-belief could be faltering, says Mouratoglou

In his latest blog, Mouratoglou touched on the idea of Djokovic slowly losing the battle with Father Time. After believing he could still go head to head with his younger opponents at 36 years of age, Djokovic was perhaps coming to terms with reality.

In addition, Mouratoglou highlighted Djokovic's achievements, stating the Serbian had nothing left to prove. However, it was his connection with the fans that kept him from retiring, although the prospect of walking away from the sport might come sooner than rather than later.

"Time catches up with everyone at some stage, even Novak Djokovic. It's incredible to think that just two years ago, Novak was on top of the world. He was the best player by far in 2023: winning three Grand Slams and reaching the final of the fourth. He was saying: “36 is the new 26, my body is in perfect shape.”
Today, the message has changed. From being untouchable, he started to lose against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. And now, he admits: “my body is not strong enough to fight those two guys in five-set Grand Slams.” At Roland-Garros, there were signs of limitation. At Wimbledon, it became undeniable. At the US Open, he looked exhausted after just two sets against Carlos. It went from “my body is perfect” to “my body is failing me because of age.” The real issue is not whether his body is weaker, but that he seems to believe it. And that belief is new.
"Earlier in his career, when he was behind Federer and Nadal, he always said: “I will find a way, I will be better.” Now, he says: “the door is closed.” This shift is massive. Novak's greatest strength was his unbreakable belief. If that inner conviction is gone, the body follows. If Novak feels he can no longer win Slams, I don't think he will keep playing much longer.
"He has achieved everything: the greatest of all time in the toughest era, against Roger, Rafa, Murray and others. Motivation is harder to find once every dream has been fulfilled. Yet, he still plays. Why? I believe part of it is his connection with the fans. For years, Roger and Rafa had the strongest bond with the public. Now, people value Novak more, they recognize his achievements, and he shows more of himself. That new connection might be what keeps him on court, even if the drive is not the same as before."