Novak Djokovic didn't win a single Grand Slam in 2024, which is a surprise because he entered the year after winning three in 2023.
There are many reasons for the Serbian's shortcomings this year, including Djokovic's own worse play when it mattered the most and other players stepping up. His knee injury derailed what could have been a fruitful summer for Djokovic as he picked up form at Roland Garros.
The Paris Olympics certainly proved that Djokovic still has the necessary level when he does play his best, but he wasn't able to find his best at most of the Grand Slams.
It could signal a decline, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that. Next year could provide some clarity, and it will be a pivotal year for Djokovic. McEnroe was asked about the 2025 season and what we could expect from Djokovic, and he had difficulty predicting what might happen.
He doesn't want to count the 24-time major winner out, but he does think there's a case to be made about Djokovic potentially not winning any more majors in his career.
"It’s difficult to say what we can expect from him next year. First of all, you never want to count him out, but this is certainly the first time that you could ask the question if his days of winning majors are over. He’s got his family and you mention the word motivation. How long can this guy stay motivated? I’m amazed he’s kept it this long, actually."
"Whether he does win majors again or he doesn’t. He won three of the four last year and now we are saying he might never win another one. I would be kinda surprised he did win more majors because of his age. At some point, that catches up to you."
It will certainly be a pivotal year for Djokovic and possibly the year that defines his career. If he goes without winning any majors once more, it might become increasingly more difficult to win one again.
The younger players are getting better and better, and the gap has never been smaller between him and them. The way he’s performed this year certainly doesn’t strike fear into any of them, and they are now starting their matches with the belief that they can beat him, which makes a huge difference mentally for most of those players.
Some, like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, probably always believed that, but players like Alexei Popyrin probably didn't. Now that they've been able to beat him, things have changed.
"You lose a little bit of the fear factor. Guys that think they didn’t have a chance against you change their mindset and it makes it much tough. That is what he is facing now. It will be interesting to see if he can pull it off, but I do think he is going to try and find that motivation again for Grand Slam No 25."
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