Novak Djokovic Gives Verdict on the Biggest Challenge in Tennis

Novak Djokovic is arguably the best player that has ever graced the men’s circuit, having won 24 Grand Slams, two more than his closest rival, Rafael Nadal. At 38, he’s still competing for more titles, and at the US Open, he’s seeking to win his 25th major title, which will make him the player with the highest number of Slams in the Open Era.

Last year, he broke a record at the Paris Olympics, becoming the oldest player to complete a Career Golden Slam, by winning the gold medal after beating the World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz and having won the four Slams (French Open, Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open). Recently, at the Geneva Open, he won his 100th tour-level title becoming the third men’s player to reach the milestone.

At the US Open, he edged closer to winning the 2025 US Open after beating Cameron Norrie in four sets. The former World No.1 had struggled to find his best form in his first two matches, but against the British star, he produced a sharp competitive display, winning 6-4, 6(4)-7, 6-2, 6-3, despite struggling with a back problem early in the match.

Following the win, he became the oldest man (38 years and 99 days) to win a third-round match at the US Open since Jimmy Connors in 1991. Also, he has now overtaken Roger Federer for the most career wins at hard-court Grand Slams in history (192). But he’s tied with the Swiss legend on 69 for the most Grand Slam fourth round appearances in the Open Era.

During his post-match press conference, he was asked what was the most challenging title of his career. The World No.7 revealed that winning Grand Slams and Olympic gold is the most difficult silverware to collect, while adding that it’s also challenging to become World No.1 as it’s mainly about being consistent:

There are debates about what the ultimate challenge in tennis is. With my experience and career, the two hardest things are: winning the Grand Slam or the Golden Grand Slam with the Olympic gold medal and remaining world No. 1 for several years. All players aim for Grand Slams and it takes a lot of energy to win them. Playing consistently well to be a contender for the world No. 1 spot is the ultimate challenge because it requires 24/7 attention to every detail, physical, recovery, preparation, mental, training.

Djokovic has not reached the final of a major tournament this season. In the three Grand Slams already played, he got to the semi-final of all three of them, before letting Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to dominate. If he doesn’t reach the final of the US Open, it will be the first time since 2017 that he has failed to reach the final of a Slam in a season.

Novak Djokovic impressed with his excellent serve in the third round of the US Open

Novak Djokovic’s high-quality performance was centered on his serving technique against Cameron Norrie. The Serbian legend changed his tactics after he lost the second set as the British star showed more physicality than him. He hammered 51 winners and 18 aces, the highest in a single match at the US Open.