Djokovic's chances at the French Open 2025?

[InsuranceMan]

I used to watch him play a lot because he entertained me with his high level. He is no longer entertaining me with his uneven, lower-power, high error-rate game and I’m preferring to watch other players when there are multiple matches being played at the same time - particularly the young ones whose upside is still undefined.

Just because I think he is the best player ever, many here automatically assumed I am a hardcore Djokovic fan. I’m not, I just watch players who entertain me, appreciate high level tennis and have done so since the 70s - stars come and go. For a tennis viewer who doesn’t have a strong allegiance to any of the Big 3 and has watched a lot of matches, I don’t think it is a radical statement to say that Djokovic is the best player and his accomplishments have now matched his caliber.

I’m also don’t think it is a radical statement to say that in most tournaments he has played since the Olympics, his level has not been at a consistent top 10 level and it is not very entertaining to watch this kind of high unforced error play. At some point I stopped watching Nadal matches also in his last year on tour as it was painful to watch the big falldown from his previous level. It is reaching that point with Djokovic also.

All very fair even down to considering him the best player. Just didn’t know - thought you were a fan of him specifically as many others are. I also enjoy watching him for the quality. Understandable reasoning

 

[bullfan]

Zero

 

[messiahrobins]

Zero.

 

[dking68]

Probably makes a fourth round at best. Clay is too physical and gruesome for a 38 year old player.

 

[messiahrobins]

Probably makes a fourth round at best. Clay is too physical and gruesome for a 38 year old player.

He wont play if he has a dreadful build up. Nadal will be getting a huge ceremony, and no way Djokovic will risk an early exit where nobody notices as the whole event is focussing on Nadal which it seems set to this year, the send off for Nadal is set to be off the chains apparently.
Djokovic should enter Barcelona...but whether he could stomach playing on Pista Nadal is another issue.

 

[SonnyT]

Nadal & Djokovic declined so quickly after their last multi-slam years. In his 38th year, Federer could and should've won Wimbledon!

 

[Mainad]

Depends on his declining fitness for Bo5. Had to retire from his semi at the AO because of this.

 

[big ted]

Nadal & Djokovic declined so quickly after their last multi-slam years. In his 38th year, Federer could and should've won Wimbledon!

Fedr got to qtrs of W with a bad knee..
He’s the only one that remained at a high level until the injury. The other 2, they just got old, injury isn’t even pushing them out their bad tennis is

 

[Incognito]

.

Nadal and Djokovic have essentially the same longevity as RG champions, both won it the year they turned 36.

no they don’t. Nadal won his first in 2005 when he was barely 19 years old. Novak won his first in 2016. They are not on the same planet when it comes to longevity at RG.

 

[CoolCoolCool]

Probably makes a fourth round at best. Clay is too physical and gruesome for a 38 year old player.

 

[Dane_is_Finnish_OJ]

Sinner 75% chance
Raz 20% chance
Djokovic 3% chance
Chainz/Fonseca/Pas/Fils/etc. 2% chance

If Carlos were to fire Ferrero, though…

Raz 95% chance
Sinner 4% chance
Djokovic 1% chance

Think of what a wonderful world this could be.

Sinner – the guy who's won ONE clay tounament in his career. Easy now.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Zero

Zero.

Yall are wild lol

 

[DSH]

Zero

Absolute zero.

 

[dking68]

Sir he was 37 in RG 2019. He didn’t even attend his fourth round match in 2021. Clay is much too physical for him at this stage of his career, Djokovic that is.

 

[CoolCoolCool]

Sir he was 37 in RG 2019. He didn’t even attend his fourth round match in 2021. Clay is much too physical for him at this stage of his career, Djokovic that is.

2 months shy of 38 while Djoker will celebrate his 38th birthday a few days before RG. You're right, big difference lol.

At RG 2021, Rog was 39, not 38. And he was closer to his 40th birthday than he was to his 39th birthday. He was also rusty and coming back after knee surgery.

 

[dking68]

2 months shy of 38 while Djoker will celebrate his 38th birthday a few days before RG. You're right, big difference lol.

At RG 2021, Rog was 39, not 38. And he was closer to his 40th birthday than he was to his 39th birthday. He was also rusty and coming back after knee surgery.

Fed was better at 37/38 than Djokovic was

 

[CoolCoolCool]

Fed was better at 37/38 than Djokovic was

Your initial claim was that a 38 yo player can't reach the QF at RG.

 

[dking68]

Your initial claim was that a 38 yo player can't reach the QF at RG.

Point is Fed wasn’t retiring in slams at this age and was playing at a significantly higher level. Just because Fed made the semifinals at almost 38, doesn’t mean Djokovic will. Djokovic will make max a fourth round this year.

 

[DSH]

Your initial claim was that a 38 yo player can't reach the QF at RG.

Federer was a RG semi-finalist at 37 years and 10 months.
Djokovic will be over 38 years old when the next edition of RG begins.

 

[dking68]

Federer was a RG semi-finalist at 37 years and 10 months.
Djokovic will be over 38 years old when the next edition of RG begins.

And that version of Federer had a match point on 32 year old Primovic

 

[CoolCoolCool]

Point is Fed wasn’t retiring in slams at this age and was playing at a significantly higher level. Just because Fed made the semifinals at almost 38, doesn’t mean Djokovic will. Djokovic will make max a fourth round this year.

That wasn't your point, you just changed your statement after my reply.

 

[jm1980]

Sinner 75% chance
Raz 20% chance
Djokovic 3% chance
Chainz/Fonseca/Pas/Fils/etc. 2% chance

If Carlos were to fire Ferrero, though…

Raz 95% chance
Sinner 4% chance
Djokovic 1% chance

Think of what a wonderful world this could be.

Sinner on clay?

 

[jm1980]

Point is Fed wasn’t retiring in slams at this age and was playing at a significantly higher level. Just because Fed made the semifinals at almost 38, doesn’t mean Djokovic will. Djokovic will make max a fourth round this year.

He already made the semis at the AO though?

 

[Lauren_Girl']

Small but not negligible.
His level on clay this year isn't worse than last year OR 2023. Take Monte-Carlo and Madrid results with a grain of salt. Anyone who watched French Open or Olympic Games last year should know that. Djokovic hasn't lost on the Chatrier against anyone but Nadal since 2019. Since 2015 (10 years) only Thiem and Nadal defeated him on this court.

If he is fresh, healthy motivated, his chances to win are still higher than 98% of the other players in the draw (that includes clay specialists like Ruud, Rune and Tsitsipas)
It'd be a mistake to underrate him although yes, realistically, Sinner and Alcaraz will be the top favorites.

Point is Fed wasn’t retiring in slams at this age and was playing at a significantly higher level. Just because Fed made the semifinals at almost 38, doesn’t mean Djokovic will. Djokovic will make max a fourth round this year.

Djokovic won the Olympics on his worst surface, a few weeks after a knee injury, without dropping a set. He basically reached the Wimbledon final and destroyed Alcaraz at Australian Open... all on 1 leg. Let's not forget that, no matter what Federer did. Both are incredible players with amazing longevity.

 

[McGradey]

These days it wouldn't surprise me to see him either crash out meekly in the first week, or make the last four. Hopefully uncle Novak can muster some of that old man strength and fire up when he encounters his first top player. That'll be earlier than he's accustomed to.
I think Wimbledon will be the bigger target for him by quite a bit, and RG will be more of a prepare well and see how it goes type deal.