Novak Djokovic heads into the Roland Garros riding the momentum of his milestone 100th ATP title, claimed in Geneva after a hard-fought victory over Hubert Hurkacz. However, as he aims to secure his third French Open crown and 25th Grand Slam title, tennis legend Mats Wilander has raised concerns about a new hurdle in Djokovic’s path.
Despite his recent success in Switzerland, Djokovic has suffered surprising losses at the Monte Carlo and Madrid Masters, events where he once dominated. Wilander argues that these defeats have shifted the mental dynamics between Djokovic and his opponents.
“There’s a possibility that it’s his last French Open,” Wilander told Metro. “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”.
This renewed confidence among his rivals, according to Wilander, could force Djokovic into longer, more grueling matches—a scenario that could pose a physical challenge for the 38-year-old.
Matteo Arnaldi defeated Novak Djokovic in the Serbian’s first game at the Madrid Open. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
“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,” Wilander explained. “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”.
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Wilander reflects on Djokovic’s partnership with Murray
Djokovic’s short-lived coaching partnership with Andy Murray, which lasted just four months, ended amicably but without producing the results either side envisioned. Wilander believes the collaboration still offered valuable lessons for Djokovic.
“He made the final of Miami, so the level is really high, and he most probably learned so much from spending a few months with Andy Murray,” Wilander noted. “I think he’ll be inspired now that it’s best-of-five sets”.
The Djokovic-Murray pairing got off to a promising start at the 2025 Australian Open, where Djokovic reached the semifinals after a thrilling win over Carlos Alcaraz. However, an injury forced him to retire during his match against Alexander Zverev.
Since then, Djokovic has struggled for consistency, posting a 12-7 record. His lone finals appearance at the Miami Masters ended in defeat to 19-year-old sensation Jakub Mensik.
