Taylor Fritz Tells Novak Djokovic to Keep Playing Despite Two-Year Grand Slam Title Drought

Look, we get it. Watching Novak Djokovic struggle through another tournament without lifting a trophy has become as predictable as your friend who insists they’re “almost ready to leave” but takes another hour. But before we start planning the Serbian legend’s retirement party, Taylor Fritz has something to say about it—and honestly, he might have a point.

Djokovic’s Recent Struggles Paint a Concerning Picture

Let’s be brutally honest here. The man who dominated tennis for over a decade has been looking more mortal lately than we’d like to admit. Djokovic hasn’t won a Grand Slam, ATP 1000, or even an ATP 500 tournament in two whole years. Two years! That’s longer than most Hollywood marriages last these days.

The Shanghai Masters debacle really drove the nail home. Here’s a guy who became the oldest player to reach a Masters 1000 final, which sounds impressive until you realize he got absolutely demolished by Valentin Vacherot—a qualifier ranked 204th in the world at the time. Ouch. That’s like watching Michael Jordan lose a pickup game to your neighborhood’s weekend warrior.

The tennis world collectively winced watching that straight-sets beatdown (6-3, 6-4). It wasn’t just a loss; it was the kind of defeat that makes you wonder if Father Time has finally caught up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

Fritz Dismisses Retirement Talk with Surprising Optimism

But Fritz, fresh off his own solid season with two titles under his belt, isn’t ready to write Djokovic’s tennis obituary just yet. Speaking at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia (yes, that controversial money-grab tournament that everyone criticizes but secretly wishes they were invited to), the American had some surprisingly supportive words.

“He hasn’t really shown too many signs of slowing down,” Fritz told reporters, apparently watching different matches than the rest of us. “He obviously has had a great year, semis at every Grand Slam. It’s tough to even think about him retiring or being done soon when he is producing the level he is producing.”

Wait, hold up. Fritz actually has a point here, and it’s one that’s easy to miss when you’re busy focusing on what Djokovic isn’t winning. Making the semifinals of every Grand Slam this year isn’t exactly chopped liver. Most players would kill for that consistency, even if it does feel like settling for participation trophies when you’re used to collecting the real thing.

The Reality Check Tennis Fans Need to Hear

Here’s where things get interesting, and where Fritz’s perspective becomes genuinely valuable. We’ve become so accustomed to Djokovic’s dominance that anything short of absolute supremacy feels like failure. But let’s pump the brakes for a second and consider what “slowing down” actually looks like for a 38-year-old athlete.

The man is still reaching Grand Slam semifinals consistently. He’s still making Masters finals. Sure, he’s not converting those opportunities into titles like he used to, but he’s still getting there. That’s not exactly the trajectory of someone whose body is “giving up on him,” as some have suggested.