In the early 2000s, a rumor circulated for a long time among tennis journalists that young Serbian talent Novak Djokovic and his family would soon be granted British citizenship and move to live in London. As the years passed, Novak only bought a summer house in sunny Monaco, but never left Belgrade for good. A few years ago, Novak confirmed that there was indeed an offer to change his citizenship, but his parents refused and he hadn't particularly wanted to leave his home and childhood friends either.
Attempt to lure away young talent in sports, especially in tennis, is nothing new. More affluent countries often take advantage of the instability of their neighbors, who are constantly suffering from financial crises or war. The way Djokovic's story ended is more an exception than the rule. But fortunately for London, the UK is also home to its own hero alongside the Serb: Scotsman Andy Murray. So the heartbreak of Novak's refusal was quickly forgotten.
Over the years, Djokovic has strengthened his ties to Britain with a total of seven Wimbledon trophies. The only other place the 38-year-old tennis player has been more successful in his Grand Slam career is at the Australian Open with ten titles. Novak first played on the grass courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in 2005, losing in the third round to Sebastien Grosjean, with his debut triumph in London happening only six years later against Rafa Nadal in the final. Novak's favourite opponent in London title matches is Roger Federer, who he's beaten three times (even from two match points down in 2019). His least favorite is Carlos Alcaraz, who he's lost two finals in a row against. In 2023, it was an exciting five-set thriller up in the air till the very end, but last season Alcaraz completely destroyed his opponent.
It won't be easy for Djokovic in London this year. His rating won't let him avoid a meeting against Sinner or Alcaraz until the final. It may sound paradoxical, but Sinner looks like a more preferable opponent for Djokovic on grass. Yannick only has one semi-final and two quarter-finals under his belt at Wimbledon so far, and in two of these three times in England's capital he actually lost to Djokovic. But inspired by his victory at Roland Garros, Alcaraz is someone Novak won't want to run into again, especially considering their last Wimbledon matches.
However, the recent success of two young talents in Paris could be a huge plus for veteran Djokovic. The transition from clay to grass in tennis happens fast, so there's not much time to recover and get used to the most fickle surface. Novak's experience (he's been in similar situations more than once), and the devastation of Carlos and Yannick after the French Open, are the main and perhaps only things Djokovic has going for him in the fight against the raging new stars.
Why is Djokovic so set on winning his 25th Grand Slam singles title? His closest rivals—Rafa and Roger—have already ended their careers, stopping at 22 and 20 titles, respectively. Alcaraz and Sinner are still a long way away... But when you can't understand the motivations of a man, always remember "cherchez la femme". In other words: look for the woman. This time, her name is Margaret Court. Lke Djokovic, she's also won 24 Grand Slam singles titles. True, most of them were from the amateur era (before 1968), when the professional tour didn't even exist yet. So there's still controversy over her record to this day. There was even a time when Serena Williams tried to downplay Court's achievement. She insisted that with her own 23 victories, she was the most decorated woman in the history of Grand Slams. Djokovic doesn't get involved in the polemics, he just keeps his already amazing career going for the sake of one more victory that will take him where nobody has ever gone before, man or woman.
