Novak Djokovic has endured some struggles this year, and former Davis Cup champion Paolo Bertolucci doesn't think it's a good sign.
The Serbian hasn't played that well this year, which is a problem for him in many ways. He lost his number one rank in the ATP Rankings because of it, and while in itself is not a huge issue for Djokovic, failing to win any titles so far is certainly a problem.
It's what he plays for, and if he's not able to be competitive anymore, the signs are certainly worrying. Add to that the knee injury he suffered in Paris, and his first six months of 2024 were a real disaster.
His fans are positive that Djokovic can turn the season around, and he might, but former player Bertolucci isn't so sure. Speaking to Fanpage.it, the Italian asserted that Djokovic is slowly drifting towards the end of their career, and it's a big question mark whether he'll be able to add much to his legacy in the coming months and years.
"The signs are not good at all, the level of play is not that of a year, a year and a half ago. In other words, he is towards the end of his career and can find the set, the points, the game, the moment to phenomenon that he is. But he cannot be the hammer he was years ago."
Another thing that Bertolucci questions is motivation. It might be the wrong thing to question about a guy who motivated himself to win 24 Grand Slam trophies, but Djokovic has been open about missing his family, and it's normal to assume the fire is not burning as it once did.
"And then, now it depends on the motivations: he had those of the Slams and the Olympics. The first faded immediately, as we saw in Paris where, however, he was not in condition and in the more he got hurt. Now I assume he’ll miss the Olympics and if they don’t go well I think he’ll have to think carefully. He might not even qualify for the Turin Finals. I think about it 100 times."
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