Boris Becker issues realistic warning to Novak Djokovic about his pursuit of the 25th Grand Slam title

Novak Djokovic’s quest for his 25th Grand Slam title hit another roadblock as he was defeated in straight sets by Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals. Despite the setback, the 38-year-old remains focused on adding another Major to his storied career. However, Boris Becker believes the road ahead will be tougher than ever.

So far in 2025, Djokovic has reached the semifinals at all three Grand Slam events. He was forced to retire against Alexander Zverev due to injury at the Australian Open, and suffered back-to-back semifinal losses to Sinner at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

According to Becker, Djokovic’s path to a 25th Grand Slam will likely require him to defeat both Sinner and Spanish phenom Carlos Alcaraz—two of the top players in today’s game.

“To win a Grand Slam, he probably has to beat both [Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner],” Becker explained on the Becker Petkovic podcast. “That’s how it was with Wimbledon, and he said Wimbledon was the tournament where he had his best chance of winning a Grand Slam”.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia leaves the court following defeat against Jannik Sinner of Italy during the Wimbledon semifinal. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

“I’m glad he reached the semifinals; he played a great tournament, but is that enough for him? He’s still playing tennis because he wants to win 25 Grand Slams, to become the sole record holder,” Becker continued.

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Becker went on to say that Alcaraz and Sinner, at their best, may already have surpassed Djokovic’s top level—making the task even more difficult for the Serbian. “But it must be said that on their good days, Sinner and Alcaraz are better than Djokovic is on his good days. That frustrates him, but he’s a realist. The question is, how realistic are the chances he’ll win another Grand Slam now, because time is running out for him,” Becker added.

Becker on Alcaraz and Sinner’s current dominance

Alcaraz and Sinner have become the dominant forces in men’s tennis, sharing the last seven Grand Slam titles between them. Becker emphasized that the rest of the field has failed to keep pace with the Spanish and Italian stars. “That was the seventh Grand Slam tournament that either [Jannik] Sinner or [Carlos] Alcaraz won,” Becker said. “So, you could already say there is a clear dominance of the rest of the field”.

Becker also pointed out that there is a noticeable absence of a third or fourth contender to consistently challenge the two, comparing Djokovic’s current role to his early career days when he had to break through the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal duopoly.

“For my taste, what’s missing is a number three or number four. Djokovic is trying hard, but he’s the fifth wheel again. He was with [Rafael] Nadal and [Roger] Federer, and now he is with Alcaraz and Sinner,” Becker concluded.