‘Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen’- Novak Djokovic’s Alleged Desire to Overtake Roger Federer Doesn’t Sit Right With Tennis Fans

Novak Djokovic has once again surprised fans with his shocking move before the French Open. The Serbinator is ready to swing his racquet in the Geneva ATP 250 event. The news, which comes a week before the start of the Roland Garros tournament, has left the fans buzzing with speculation, trying to understand the World No. 1’s decision.

Novak Djokovic’s pursuit of a title has faced a rocky start this season. The 36-year-old player has tried to show his dominance in the five singles tournaments that he has played so far. But none of them quenched his hunger for winning a title. Djokovic could not even conquer his dreams in Rome as well, a place where he had previously won six times! But now it seems he has a different plan in his head. 

Novak Djokovic arrives in Geneva for his first Swiss tournament in 13 years, with his 37th birthday falling on Wednesday. This comes after a surprising loss to Alejandro Tabilo (ranked 32nd) in the Italian Open’s third round. Aiming to regain his form on clay, Djokovic seeks additional matches before defending his French Open title. However, last year’s scene was a bit different. 

By the time he played in the French Open, he had already conquered his Australian Open title. Not only that, he also reached one semifinal and two quarterfinal matches. But this year, so far, he has only managed to reach two semifinals. Therefore, the stakes are higher. And Djokovic agrees to this as well.

When Alejandro Tabilo defeated him, he reflected on his own performance after the match. “The way I felt on the court today was just completely like a different player entered into my shoes. It’s a bit concerning.” However, now as he steps into Geneva, fans are speculating on the reason behind this calculated move. While some point at his love for the No. 1 spot, others are bringing Roger Federer’s reference to the spotlight.

Fans react to Novak Djokovic’s decision to play in Geneva

As the tennis world is closely watching Novak Djokovic’s struggling form this year, his every move is being scrutinized by fans. One fan tweeted, “Bro doesn’t want to lose his number 1 spot ffs”. This can be a reason for the move as well. Djokovic has enjoyed a total of 425 weeks on the top. And for Djokovic, who has always been vocal about how he wants “to be the best” no matter what, he is not ready to let it go anytime soon.

One fan similarly pointed out how Djokovic is determined to keep his No. 1 position. “To try and keep number 1?”, the fan questioned. Djokovic’s love for the No. 1 spot has been visible during the Monte-Carlo as well. There, he admitted, “It is nice. It is great. Obviously to still be able to compete at the highest level and be No. 1 in the world aged almost 37 (was) not something that I was honestly dreaming of or planning on or thinking is going to become reality.” Therefore, to sustain that rank, which he first earned in 2011 at the age of 24, seemed to have fueled his desire to play in Geneva. 

Another fan had a different perspective. “Now he is desperately wanted to overtake Roger’s 103 title count…expected.” Throughout his over two-decade-long career, Djokovic has by far 98 titles to his name, 5 less than the Swiss Maestro. Therefore, to achieve more titles and surpass Federer, he indeed needs to play more tournaments.

However, according to this fan, “He(Novak) wants to get past federer total trophies.” This year, at 36 Years and 321 Days, Novak Djokovic cemented his place in history, becoming the oldest player ever to hold the top spot in the ATP Rankings. This achievement surpasses the previous record held by his long-time rival, Roger Federer, for 36 years and 320 days. In terms of winning Grand Slams, the World No. 1 has four more to his name than than that of Federer. Therefore, this fan indicated that this was the driving force behind his decision to play in Geneva.

Another fan simply wrote, “Oh how the mighty have fallen.” This fan signified how Djokovic has failed to be in his full rhythm so far. Djokovic, who is the only player to achieve a triple career grand slam, has not earned any grand slams this year so far. Therefore, according to this fan, the Serbian Maestro has “fallen,” from his previous dominance.

Now, the tennis world eagerly waits for the drama to unfold. Will Novak Djokovic successfully defend his No. 1 ranking? Only time will tell.