Djokovic's Season 'Successful' Despite Experiencing 'Phase Of Demotivation'

Wednesday, 20 November 2024 at 18:50

byJordan Reynolds

Novak Djokovic's 2024 ATP season was successful despite his lack of Grand Slam success, according to the legendary Justine Henin.

Djokovic began 2024 as the world No. 1 after one of the best seasons of his career in 2023. He secured three Grand Slams and the ATP Finals, dominating tennis despite being 36 at the end of that season.

That dominance came to an end this year. For the first time since 2017, Djokovic failed to win any of the Grand Slams and won a record-low one title throughout the season.

The Serbian winning the most Grand Slams in ATP history is widely known, but Djokovic not collecting a single Masters 1000 title is also an anomaly since he also holds the record for the most titles at that level.

However, it is also not surprising. Djokovic only competed in four of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments in 2024, and has spoken openly about the four Grand Slams and representing Serbia being his main priorities.

The 37-year-old also ended the season ranked No. 7, his lowest year-end ranking since 2017. All those facts make 2024 seem like a disastrous year for Djokovic that could be challenging for him to recover from.

A key caveat is that the one title he did win was the Olympic gold medal that had eluded him throughout his career. Djokovic, who struggled with a knee problem at the French Open and Wimbledon, stunned many tennis fans by beating Carlos Alcaraz in the gold medal match.

That means whether Djokovic had a successful season is open to interpretation. It was statistically one of his worst, but winning gold at the Olympics was the former world No. 1's biggest goal, and he achieved that.

Henin, a seven-time Grand Slam champion during her career, told Eurosport that Djokovic's season should be considered a success because he achieved his ultimate goal. The Belgian admitted the Serbian looked demotivated during other parts of the season.

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"Of course his season was successful. He went and got the title he wanted, that was his ultimate goal. He went through a lot of phases this season, including certainly a phase of demotivation and then things to manage on a physical level too – but there was only one place where he wanted to shine."

How Djokovic secured Olympic gold by raising his level when many had either written him off or were at least doubting him still leaves Henin stunned months after it happened.

"And the way he did it, I still can’t believe it. This ability, when he didn’t have a great season, when everyone was doubting him, to raise his level of play as he did and manage to be present again in a big event, it’s just phenomenal."

Djokovic's focus on the Grand Slams is why he plans to compete in the opening week of the 2025 season. He also withdrew from this year's ATP Finals, although he cited an injury as the reason for that.

Carlos Alcaraz is among those who expect Djokovic to remain dangerous in 2025, and his continued presence in the sport has become even more critical after Rafael Nadal's retirement at the Davis Cup Finals.