'Wimbledon Could Be The Best Chance': Aging Djokovic Eyeing Historic 25th Career Slam
Last Updated:
Novak Djokovic, aiming for his 25th Grand Slam at Wimbledon, seeks to match Roger Federer's record of eight titles as well.
So close yet so far. The end seems to be nearing for the legendary Novak Djokovic, and the Serb realises the same, as he remains in hot pursuit of his 25th career Grand Slam title — a feat achieved by none before.
But, the World No. 6 realises that his window is dwindling, and there's never a time better than the present — at Wimbledon — to seal the deal and etch history.
24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic is on a quest for his record-breaking 25th major title at Wimbledon, where he has already triumphed seven times, most recently in 2022.
Only Swiss legend Roger Federer has more men's singles titles at SW19, with eight, and Djokovic aims to match his long-term rival's record.
However, he hasn't added a Grand Slam title since the 2023 U.S. Open, with young guns Alcaraz and Sinner claiming three each since.
Wimbledon may now offer Djokovic his best shot at ending their reign and becoming the oldest Grand Slam champion in the professional era.
'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, just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform at the highest level," he said.
'I'll try to have a very good tournament and go as far as I can."
'In a sense, you're always hunting because you're always going for the titles, and in my privileged position, the records and more history," he told reporters.
'I do feel that I'm always in that position of going for something with the attitude of trying to win rather than trying to defend."
Djokovic begins his campaign Tuesday against Frenchman Alexandre Muller, needing three more wins to become just the second man to hit 100 Wimbledon match victories.
First Published:
June 30, 2025, 15:39 IST
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Diamondbacks snap a 4-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Giants
Jul 01, 2025 10:29 AM IST PHOENIX — Alek Thomas went 3 for 3 with two runs scored, Ryne Nelson struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday night. Diamondbacks snap a 4-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Giants One pitch after Nelson was pulled in the seventh after exceeding his pitch count, Tyler Fitzgerald sent a shot to the warning track in center — just past a diving Thomas — to score two runs and tie it at 2. The Diamondbacks answered with a run in the seventh on Geraldo Perdomo's bloop single to score Thomas. A controversial call for fan interference came in the top of the eighth on Christian Koss' deep shot to left-center field, resulting in a ground-rule double. John Curtiss struck out Rafael Devers and Shelby Miller came in to get Heliot Ramos looking. Eugenio Suarez added a solo shot in the eighth — his 11th home run in June. The Giants have lost three in a row. Nelson allowed two earned runs and five hits, while not giving up a walk. Curtiss got his first win of the season and Miller earned his first career four-out save. Diamondbacks pitchers combined to hold the 1-2-3 hitters to 1 for 12 with seven strikeouts. San Francisco stater Logan Webb allowed three earned runs and seven hits, while striking out seven in 6 1/3 innings. San Francisco manager Bob Melvin was ejected in the ninth inning after arguing with the home plate umpire. Webb allowed just his seventh home run of the season when Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit his 11th in the sixth for a 2-0 lead. Arizona will start RHP Zac Gallen on Tuesday night against the Giants, who he has beaten twice in a row with a 0.75 ERA. San Francisco will go with RHP Hayden Birdsong . ___ MLB: /hub/mlb This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Carlos Alcaraz Survives, Aryna Sabalenka Cruises On Wimbledon's Hottest Opening Day
Carlos Alcaraz survived a major scare in his Wimbledon opener on Monday while Aryna Sabalenka kept her cool to progress on the hottest opening day in the tournament's history. Temperatures at the All England Club on Monday topped 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record for the start of the tournament of 29.3 Celsius set in 2001. Alcaraz dug dip for a 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 win over 38-year-old Fabio Fognini in a gruelling clash lasting four hours and 37 minutes on Centre Court. It was first time since Roger Federer narrowly beat Alejandro Falla in 2010 that a defending champion had been taken to a fifth set in the Wimbledon first round. Alcaraz shrugged off an inconsistent display including 62 unforced errors as the world number two refused to wilt in the heat. "I don't know why it is probably Fabio's last Wimbledon because the level he has shown shows he can still play for three or four more years," said the Spaniard. "Playing on Centre Court for the first match of any tournament is never easy. Wimbledon is special and different. I just tried to play my best but I would say that I could play better." During the match the 22-year-old rushed to help a spectator who had collapsed in the stands, handing over a bottle of water as medics came to the woman's aid. Alcaraz, who has never lost in a Grand Slam first round in 18 appearances, faces British qualifier Oliver Tarvet in the second round. The five-time Grand Slam champion is bidding to become the fifth man in the Open Era to win at least three consecutive Wimbledon titles after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. With players and fans searching for shade from the London heatwave, former England captain David Beckham watched the action from the royal box, alongside ex-England manager Gareth Southgate. Top women's seed Sabalenka used ice packs to beat the heat during her 6-1, 7-5 victory over Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine on Court One. The 27-year-old Belarusian is a three-time Grand Slam champion but suffered agonising three-set defeats in this year's Australian Open and French Open finals. The world number one has never been beyond the Wimbledon semi-finals and missed last year's tournament with a shoulder injury. "I felt really great. Super grateful to be healthy and ready to compete and to be through the first round," said Sabalenka, who next faces Czech world number 48 Marie Bouzkova. Mercury soars Two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur broke down in tears before retiring from her first-round match against Viktoriya Tomova for an unspecified reason. Tunisia's Jabeur was trailing 7-6 (7/5), 2-0 when she brought a premature end to her clash with the Bulgarian world number 111. Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, a Wimbledon semi-finalist for the past two years, suffered a meltdown against France's Benjamin Bonzi. Bonzi won 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in three hours and seven minutes, with the fuming Russian smashing his racquet against his chair at the end of the match. Elsewhere, Danish eighth seed Holger Rune threw away a two-set lead to lose to Chilean world number 143 Nicolas Jarry while former finalist Matteo Berrettini crashed out and Stefanos Tsitsipas retired with an injury. Former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko was beaten 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 by Britain's Sonay Kartal. Australian Open champion Madison Keys came from a set down to beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-7, (4/7), 7-5, 7-5 but ninth seed Paula Badosa lost in three sets to Britain's Katie Boulter. Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu defeated fellow Briton Mimi Xu 6-3, 6-3 to book a second-round date with 2023 Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova. The matches between third seed Alexander Zverev and Arthur Rinderknech and fifth seed Taylor Fritz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard were suspended due to Wimbledon's curfew of 2300 local time. Wimbledon has a heat rule to safeguard the health of the players. It allows a 10-minute break to be taken between the second and third sets for women's matches and between the third and fourth sets for men's matches, when the heat stress index is at or above 30.1 degrees Celsius. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
Wimbledon 2025: Alcaraz survives Fognini scare on hottest opening day as big names crash out
While Wimbledon defending champion Carlos Alcaraz managed to scrape past Fabio Fognini, Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev were not that lucky on Day 1 which turned out to be the hottest opening day in the tournament's history. read more Carlos Alcaraz was stretched to five sets by Fabio Fognini but the defending champion survived on Day 1 of Wimbledon 2025. Image: Reuters Carlos Alcaraz survived a major scare in his Wimbledon opener on Monday while Aryna Sabalenka kept her cool to progress on the hottest opening day in the tournament's history. Temperatures at the All England Club on Monday topped 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record for the start of the tournament of 29.3 Celsius set in 2001. Alcaraz dug dip for a 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 win over 38-year-old Fabio Fognini in a gruelling clash lasting four hours and 37 minutes on Centre Court. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It was first time since Roger Federer narrowly beat Alejandro Falla in 2010 that a defending champion had been taken to a fifth set in the Wimbledon first round. Alcaraz praises Fognini after tough opening on hot day Alcaraz shrugged off an inconsistent display including 62 unforced errors as the world number two refused to wilt in the heat. 'I don't know why it is probably Fabio's last Wimbledon because the level he has shown shows he can still play for three or four more years,' said the Spaniard. 'Playing on Centre Court for the first match of any tournament is never easy. Wimbledon is special and different. I just tried to play my best but I would say that I could play better.' During the match the 22-year-old rushed to help a spectator who had collapsed in the stands, handing over a bottle of water as medics came to the woman's aid. Alcaraz, who has never lost in a Grand Slam first round in 18 appearances, faces British qualifier Oliver Tarvet in the second round. The five-time Grand Slam champion is bidding to become the fifth man in the Open Era to win at least three consecutive Wimbledon titles after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD English football royalty in the Royal Box ✨ Welcome back to #Wimbledon, Sir Gareth Southgate and Sir David Beckham 👋 — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 30, 2025 With players and fans searching for shade from the London heatwave, former England captain David Beckham watched the action from the royal box, alongside ex-England manager Gareth Southgate. Top women's seed Sabalenka used ice packs to beat the heat during her 6-1, 7-5 victory over Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine on Court One. The 27-year-old Belarusian is a three-time Grand Slam champion but suffered agonising three-set defeats in this year's Australian Open and French Open finals. The world number one has never been beyond the Wimbledon semi-finals and missed last year's tournament with a shoulder injury. 'I felt really great. Super grateful to be healthy and ready to compete and to be through the first round,' said Sabalenka, who next faces Czech world number 48 Marie Bouzkova. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Jabeur retires, Medvedev and Rune lose Two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur broke down in tears before retiring from her first-round match against Viktoriya Tomova for an unspecified reason. Tunisia's Jabeur was trailing 7-6 (7/5), 2-0 when she brought a premature end to her clash with the Bulgarian world number 111. Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, a Wimbledon semi-finalist for the past two years, suffered a meltdown against France's Benjamin Bonzi. Bonzi won 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in three hours and seven minutes, with the fuming Russian smashing his racquet against his chair at the end of the match. Elsewhere, Danish eighth seed Holger Rune threw away a two-set lead to lose to Chilean world number 143 Nicolas Jarry while former finalist Matteo Berrettini crashed out and Stefanos Tsitsipas retired with an injury. Former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko was beaten 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 by Britain's Sonay Kartal. Australian Open champion Madison Keys came from a set down to beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-7, (4/7), 7-5, 7-5 but ninth seed Paula Badosa lost in three sets to Britain's Katie Boulter. Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu defeated fellow Briton Mimi Xu 6-3, 6-3 to book a second-round date with 2023 Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The matches between third seed Alexander Zverev and Arthur Rinderknech and fifth seed Taylor Fritz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard were suspended due to Wimbledon's curfew of 2300 local time. Wimbledon has a heat rule to safeguard the health of the players. It allows a 10-minute break to be taken between the second and third sets for women's matches and between the third and fourth sets for men's matches, when the heat stress index is at or above 30.1 degrees Celsius.
