Novak Djokovic has had a rough phase in 2024. For the first time since 2017, he went through a season without winning a Grand Slam title. On top of it, Nole’s persistent injuries also affected his run. However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion still managed to prove why he’s one of the GOATS of tennis with his one historic and epic triumph that left former WTA pro Justine Henin stunned.

At the beginning of the season, Djoker failed to make it big during the Australian Open where he faltered against Jannik Sinner in the SF round. The dry run continued in subsequent ATP events too, namely the Indian Wells Masters, Monte-Carlos Masters, Italian Open, and Geneva Open. At the Roland Garros, he was forced to withdraw from the quarterfinal due to a meniscus tear. During Wimbledon, he reached the title clash but couldn’t lift the trophy; he lost against Carlos Alcaraz. At the US Open, he couldn’t even advance past the third round. But despite consistent failures in 2024, his ability to shine at the biggest stage, the Olympics, is what makes him a true legend. Two months after the Wimbledon, coming back after a surgery, he managed to pull off a memorable win in the final and won his first-ever Gold medal.

In an interaction with Eurosport, former World No.1 and Belgian player Justine Henin lauded Novak’s determination and ability to rise amidst struggles. According to her, his Olympics victory came at a time when most people didn’t really expect him to win it due to his overall mediocre season – but he silenced everyone. Per Henin, “his season was successful” because he “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,” she said.

She implied that he won the Gold medal at a time when doubts loomed over his talent. “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,” she said, as reported by Tennis365. Apart from his Olympics triumph, however, Djokovic didn’t win any ATP title in 2024. An ongoing injury forced him to even withdraw from last week’s ATP Finals in Turin. But it doesn’t mean he can’t make a strong comeback in 2025. He’s still dangerous, as ever, according to Spanish talent Carlos Alcaraz.

Carlos Alcaraz backs Novak Djokovic ahead of the new season in 2025

During a press conference leading up to the ATP Finals, Alcaraz clearly mentioned that skipping the Finals wasn’t a big deal for Djokovic. It’s because he’s at a point in his career where he can take such decisions. And that even after staying away from the court for a while, he can make a strong return and win a tournament. “He deserves to choose what tournaments he’s going to play. We’ve seen before that it doesn’t matter that he doesn’t play an official match for two, three, four months because he’s going to come again and be able to win the tournament, be able to show a really high level of tennis,” said the former World No.1

Moreover, Alcaraz emphasized on Novak Djokovic’s undying passion for tennis. It keeps his hunger alive whenever he steps on the court. He said that despite current injuries, he is still able to return next year at the Australian Open and do wonders. “If he goes to Australia with hungry, is going to be one of the favorites to win Australia. Let’s see. He’s going to be fresh, for sure. A lot of time with his family, kids, wife. Have time to practice a lot, which is pretty good for a tennis player coming to a tournament with motivations. Is going to be a fun player to watch, for sure,” he said.

Well, Djokovic may very well make a grand return at the Australian Open in 2025. His record at the event speaks it all. Out of his 24 Grand Slams trophies, 10 of them have come at the Australian Open! Do you think he will eventually extend the count to 11 and his overall total to 25 next year? Let us know in the comments below.