Djokovic Eyes Record 25th Slam at Wimbledon, Citing Favorable Conditions

WIMBLEDON, England -- At every Grand Slam event, Novak Djokovic faces the inevitable question: Will this be his last appearance?

The query resurfaced this Saturday at Wimbledon, and his response remained consistent: Only time will tell.

"Whether it could be my 'last dance,'" the holder of 24 major titles acknowledged, echoing the reporter's words, "I'm not sure – just as I wasn't sure about Roland Garros or any other Slam I play next."

Djokovic addressed retirement speculation while remaining grounded.

"My wish is to play for several more years. I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level," he stated. "That's the goal. But you never know at this stage."

Djokovic conceded that the All England Club presents a strong opportunity to secure another Grand Slam singles title, potentially elevating his record to an unprecedented 25.

"I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance, because of the results I had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon," Djokovic said, ahead of his first-round match against Alexandre Muller on Tuesday. "Just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform the best tennis at the highest level."

Djokovic boasts seven Wimbledon championships. He was close to equaling Roger Federer's eight titles, and coming within two of Martina Navratilova's record of nine women's trophies, but lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2023 and 2024 finals.

Djokovic has reached the final in his last six appearances at the tournament (canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), securing victories in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. His last Wimbledon defeat prior to the last two years was in 2017, when he was defeated in the quarterfinals by Tomas Berdych.

The questions surrounding Djokovic's future mirror those previously posed to legends like Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams.

Despite not winning a Grand Slam title in over a year and a half – his last being the US Open in September 2023 – Djokovic remains a formidable contender.

He reached the Australian Open semifinals this January, withdrawing after one set due to a hamstring injury, and the French Open final four this month, losing to Jannik Sinner. After that defeat, Djokovic kissed the court, hinting it might be his last match at Roland Garros.

He also secured a gold medal for Serbia at the Paris Olympics, defeating Alcaraz.

"These tournaments give me the biggest drive, still," Djokovic affirmed. "I like the way I feel right now, physically. Tennis-wise, I've been playing good in the practice sessions. Obviously completely different when you start a tournament. I'll try to have a very good tournament and go as far as I can."