Despite his shocking upset at the 2024
US Open,
Novak Djokovic still has the ability to win a few more Grand Slam titles, according to former World No.1
Mats Wilander.
Djokovic's last Major triumph came at the 2023 US Open, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev to win his 24th Grand Slam title. After falling in the 2024 Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz, the Serbian was backed to successfully defend his title at Flushing Meadows this year. However, he fell in a shocking third round loss to Australian Alexei Popyrin, ending his bid for another Grand Slam title this season.
Wilander believes Djokovic will win more titles before he retires
"So far I don’t see him getting old, I don’t think this is the year where we thought ‘Ah, he’s 37.’ Physically I don’t notice anything getting older, mentally – he seems to be getting smarter,” said Wilander in an interview with Sport Klub. “I can’t believe he’s still playing at this rate, but I can believe he’ll keep it up. I think he will win some more Slams, that he will finish at 26. His game is there.
“If he won two more matches here, he would suddenly be the best in the world again, there are not many who can beat him. It’s a surprise that he lost, but Popyrin did what not many could do – he served in the corners, sometimes he hit the ball with all his strength, played with variation on the backhand."
Furthermore, Wilander picked Italian Jannik Sinner as the favorite to lift the title in New York following the elimination of Djokovic and former champion Carlos Alcaraz.
"Sinner is the first favourite, but there are so many good players,” added the seven-time Grand Slam champion. “[Daniil] Medvedev can win, in his own way, and it’s good for Sinner that he didn’t have a tough opponent immediately after the elimination of Alcaraz and Djokovic, so that it settles down for him."