Novak Djokovic has just turned 38 years old, and yet still remains in the conversation to compete for the French Open title.
It is a testament to his unparalleled pursuit of excellence, professionalism and unrivalled talent that he remains at the top of the sport after so long, and his legacy will remain a shining light for generations to come.
However, with age comes the increased fear that his time playing tennis is coming to an end, with his powers on court clearly waning.
He remains a threat to anyone on tour, but not quite at the same scarily relentless level he once was.
With that in mind, Mats Wilander has made a worrying claim about Novak Djokovic’s future.
Novak Djokovic could play his final French Open
Speaking to The Metro, the three-time French Open champion sought to assess the chances of four of the favourites for the men’s singles crown.
And, honing in on Djokovic, his assessment was not so optimistic.
In fact, the 60-year-old even hinted at this potentially being the last time that Philippe Chatrier will welcome the 24-time Grand Slam champion, as Wilander stated: ‘There’s a possibility that it’s his last French Open.
’Once you get to five-set tournaments, where he’s won so many of them, I think [his] confidence will come soaring back. The only problem is that other players suddenly believe that they can beat Novak Djokovic and that’s something that they haven’t believed before.
‘That makes every match much more complicated. When matches are more complicated, suddenly you have three matches in a row which are four hours or more and that becomes a physical issue.
‘He hasn’t had those problems before because he’s been so much better than everybody. In the past, he’d get a straightforward win where he wouldn’t need much energy at all.
‘Suddenly, guys believe they can beat him and therefore the matches will be tougher. It’s a new chapter in his career. It’s looking forward to seeing how he can handle it.’
Novak Djokovic still has so much to offer tennis
Despite the suggestion that this could mark his final French Open, Djokovic still boasts more than enough quality to compete at the top of tennis.
His recent performance in Geneva should prove that not just to the public but to himself too, beating impressive opposition before coming from a set down to win the final against Hubert Hurkacz.
In doing so, Djokovic won his 100th career title, further cementing his place in history.
He might not be able to play and reach the latter stages of every single tournament anymore, but that does not detract from the player he remains.
Last year should stand as a testament to that.
Djokovic may not have won a single ATP trophy, but he reached the final of Wimbledon, the semi-finals of the Australian Open, the quarter-finals in Paris and won Olympic Gold to complete his trophy cabinet.
Retirement will always be mentioned regarding players of his age, but whilst he remains a threat, there’s no reason to rush departing the sport.
