2024 ATP Player of the Year Countdown, No. 4: Novak Djokovic

2024, by the Numbers

• 37-9: Overall win-loss record
• 16-3: Grand Slam win-loss record (AO SF, RG QF, W RU, USO 3R)
• 1: Title (Summer Olympic Games, Gold Medal)
• 2: Runner-ups (Wimbledon, Shanghai)
• 7: Year-end ranking

The Story of the Season

Novak Djokovic had an underwhelming 2024 season, but when you're the Greatest of All Time, "underwhelming" is relative. Though the 24-time Grand Slam champion failed to add to his major total, he captured his most meaningful milestone at the Summer Olympic Games, standing atop the podium in his fifth attempt.

That sense of completeness—and the retirements of rivals Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal—may have contributed to uninspired performances elsewhere. He surrendered his Australian Open title in four sets to Jannik Sinner and suffered a head-scratching defeat to Luca Nardi at the BNP Paribas Open. Just when he appeared on track for a spring surge, he incurred a shock head injury when struck by a falling bottle in Rome and was out of sorts in his next match against Alejandro Tabilo.

His Roland Garros campaign was interrupted by a worrying knee injury and while he quickly recovered, a run to the Wimbledon final ended with a wipeout to Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic ultimately got his revenge where it mattered most, playing one of the best matches of the year to thwart Alcaraz in Paris and achieve a lifelong dream of winning Olympic Gold.

Aside from a runner-up finish to Sinner in Shanghai, the rest of the year was largely a wash for Novak who, at 37, appears keen on kickstarting the final phase of his career with a high-wattage coaching hire ahead of 2025.—David Kane

What's to Come in 2025?

As he’s geared up for 2025 this fall, Djokovic has had ample time to both rest and commence a rigorous fitness and practice regimen. The addition of Andy Murray to Team Djokovic is inspired. Murray’s knowledge of contemporary tennis is extensive. It would be fascinating to hear how those two will discuss game plans, particularly versus the seemingly impregnable Jannik Sinner and the versatile Carlos Alcaraz. Besides gaining from Murray’s nuanced mind, Djokovic will simply enjoy being around a lifelong peer who’s authentic and clever.

Then there are other ways these two will connect, on everything from reflections about the pro tennis journey to the joys and demands of marriage and parenthood. But let’s not think this is a tennis version of that sweet movie about aging adults, On Golden Pond. Djokovic’s primary purpose in hiring Murray is this simple: Help me win. Besides grappling with Sinner and Alcaraz, there’s the matter of competing versus current contenders (we await Djokovic versus big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard).

Certainly, Djokovic will be prudent about scheduling. On a tactical basis, might his quest to minimize wear and tear trigger plans to end points sooner, be it with serves or more frequent net-rushing? Or are these thoughts about scheduling and tactics too fueled by panic? It was clear in ’24 how single-minded Djokovic was in pursuit of at last winning an Olympic gold medal. That emotionally demanding task accomplished, might he in ’25 return to business as usual, grinding his way to one victory after another?—Joel Drucker