Novak Djokovic remains confident of his chances of winning a record 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic is level with Margaret Court on 24 for the most-ever Grand Slam titles won, although he does lead the men’s all-time list.
The Serbian has failed to get over the line in his recent attempts, but now has another chance at Wimbledon, where he’s already into round two.
Before the event started, however, he discussed his recent efforts on the big stage, which include reaching the final of this year’s Australian Open.
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Novak Djokovic still has belief in winning another Grand Slam title
Djokovic defeated his ATP rival Jannik Sinner in five sets en route to the final in Melbourne, where he lost 6-2, 2-6, 3-6, 5-7 to Carlos Alcaraz.
Asked how it felt to beat the Italian, he told Tennis Channel: “Yeah, this was the win of 2026 for me, no doubt.
“You know, beating the two-time defending champion and world number one Jannik in Australia, after I think having a negative streak against him of five losses, four or five losses in a row.
“It was epic honestly, over four-and-a-half hours, a five-setter. Proved to me first and foremost, more than anyone else, that I can still push, particularly the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz, on the biggest stage to five sets and win.
“So that actually was another confidence booster for me, and another I guess motivation to keep going and keep grinding and keep believing that I could get my hands on another at least one Grand Slam trophy.”
And sharing his general feelings before beating Wu Yibing in the first round of Wimbledon, he said: “Yeah, this year has been quite challenging because I had an injury of the shoulder that kept me away from the tour for several months.
“I started off playing finals in Australian Open, and as I said, proving to myself and others that I can still win against the best players in the world, get to the finals of Grand Slams.
“So that was a great start of the year. Unfortunately then after Indian Wells I had this injury. Basically without any matches, moved into Roland Garros and played three very long matches there, physical battles.
“I knew that it’s going to be quite challenging for me to kind of find my best game and shape in Paris. Had an earlier exit than I wanted to, but was proud of the battle, fighting with 20 years younger opponents, taking them to five sets in five hours. It’s a new norm.
“But I always liked my chances in Wimbledon. And at the beginning of the year when I was talking with my team and kind of setting goals, Wimbledon was right at the top.
“And because of my history of results here and the way I play, the way I adjust to the surface, even without any official tournaments on the grass, I can always kind of find my best game here and Australia.
“For some reason these two always have been very successful for me. And so I look forward to it. Honestly I’ve been training a lot in the last several weeks, getting my body, mind, and game ready for battles.”
Novak Djokovic constantly focusing on what is next
Now 39, the legendary figure has been very cautious with his schedule in the 2026 season, playing just four tournaments.
He entered the Grand Slam with a 9-4 win-loss record this year, which he will be eager to improve upon in London.
However, Djokovic has, of course, already achieved legendary status within tennis, clinching so much more than 24 Grand Slam titles.
Watching many of his stunning achievements back, he commented: “To be really honest with you, I think while I’m still active as a player, I don’t know… I don’t allow myself to immerse fully into everything that we have just seen.
“Of course, I’m very proud of it, and very grateful to be able to experience and achieve all these great things. But I think, while you’re still active, you’re kind of focused on what’s next.
“You know how it is as a tennis player at the highest level, it’s like, what’s the next challenge, what’s the calendar, when are the training weeks, what’s the recovery?
“So you know, I kind of like shield myself from really fully immersing into that. I guess only when I retire, once I retire in about 15 years, I’ll have a chance to really fully enjoy it.”
| Career-high rank | 1 |
| ATP titles | 101 |
| Grand Slam titles | 24 |
| Win-loss | 1172-237 |
| Prize money | $193,469,626 |
It’s a typically admirable approach from Djokovic, who will clearly retire before then but is currently not giving up hope of more success.
Intriguingly, his next test is a reunion with Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round at the All England Club in London.
The Greek ace has reached two Grand Slam finals during his career, losing both to Djokovic, who leads their head-to-head 12-2.
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