Novak Djokovic's path to a 25th major hits another roadblock

When Taylor Fritz captured the Stuttgart title on Sunday, it propelled the American to No. 4 in the ATP Rankings, dropping Novak Djokovic to fifth. 

With Djokovic not expected to participate in any events leading up to Wimbledon, there's a realistic chance he will drop further in the rankings, especially with Jack Draper and Lorenzo Musetti close behind.

If the Serb were to arrive at Wimbledon as a sixth seed, it would worsen his chances of a 25th major, a title he has been unsuccessfully seeking for nearly two years. That's because Djokovic will likely face Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner — the two best players in the world — in a quarterfinal or the semifinal in a best-case scenario.

Djokovic's refusal to play ATP 250 and ATP 500 events didn't do him any favors at the Australian Open and French Open, either. He ran into Alcaraz in the quarterfinal at Melbourne and Sinner in the semifinal at Roland-Garros. While he overcame Alcaraz at the Australian Open, the grueling path taken over two weeks ultimately led to his medical retirement against Alexander Zverev in the semifinal. At the French Open, he lost in straight sets to Sinner.

The 38-year-old is still playing elite tennis, but his body can no longer endure the rigors of a two-week major tournament. On his best day, he can still defeat either Alcaraz or Sinner, but it seems nearly impossible to expect him to slay both giants at the same event. 

Perhaps lady luck — an injury or early upset to one of the top seeds — can help Djokovic defy the odds. As it stands, it's nearly impossible to envision him winning another slam. Djokovic tied Margaret Court's record for 24 majors when he won the 2023 U.S. Open title.