Why a ‘self-critical’ Novak Djokovic keeps chasing greatness at 39

5 min readUpdated: Jul 8, 2026 10:28 PM Why does Novak Djokovic still put his body through a mythical grind? Is it the quest for Major No. 25, the drive to retire on a high or something else altogether? Four hours and forty-one minutes into his 2026 Wimbledon quarter-final classic against Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Serbian gave a clue.
Auger-Aliassime was serving at 15-30 in Game 8 of the fifth set. Djokovic, despite his return, was pushed onto the backfoot a deep forehand from the Canadian. He slugged it back, scrambled to meet a crosscourt stroke and unfurled a stunning backhand down the line.
It was the shot which the very best admire, the one that’s built an empire. The crowd roared in delight at having witnessed the epitome of vintage Djokovic, and the 39-year-old was perhaps referring to it (besides the eventual super tiebreak) when he said post-match, “These are the kind of moments that I still play tennis for.”
After his straight-sets capitulation to Jannik Sinner last year, Djokovic had publicly come to terms with his career’s ephemerality. The wear and tear of being a pro for 22 years had perhaps left him knackered, and he found his tank was “half empty” even before the Italian challenge.
Novak Djokovic outlasted Felix Auger-Aliassime in the longest ever Wimbledon quarter-final. (AP Photo)
That ought to have worsened over the next 12 months, but the seven-time champion returned anyway. This time, the body wasn’t the problem. At least that’s what Djokovic said.
“It wasn’t physical – physical was kind of okay. Just game-wise, I didn’t enjoy my tennis,” was his verdict after an “ugly” fourth-round win over world No. 132 Roman Safiullin. The match had frayed Djokovic’s temper; he smashed a ball in anger and mouthed a cuss word for which he apologised in the on-court interview.
Vintage Novak
All that frustration evaporated once the men’s singles G.O.A.T returned to the peak of his powers, two days hence. He got better and better as the longest Wimbledon last-eight clash in hory wore on. That Auger-Aliassime, playing only his second match on SW19’s Centre Court, put up a show for the ages only elevated Djokovic’s gameplay.Story continues below this ad
“Just one of the best matches I was honestly part of in Wimbledon,” the seventh seed later told the press. “I don’t recall playing this long in any match. Maybe the Roger (Federer) final in 2019 comes close in terms of the time and length. But it was really super even. Anyone’s game. Felix really played at a high level.”
The five-hour, fifteen-minute epic finished just six minutes short of the 11pm curfew. Just how much such a draining contest had taken out of him will remain to be seen when he faces Sinner in a re-match from Wimbledon 2025 on Friday.
“I wish it (the match against Auger-Aliassime) was the final, so I didn’t need to worry about how the body will feel tomorrow. But I am happy, I am happy that I won.”

Many would argue that entering his 55th Slam semi-final, and an eighth successive one at the grass-court Major, is an achievement enough at this stage of his journey. Not for Djokovic, though. “It’s just another semi-final for me. I am going to look at all the numbers when I retire. Right now it’s all business, I still have to recover, and I have the best player in the world in a few days’ time.”Story continues below this ad
While Sinner might be the current numero uno and has age, power and agility on his side, if there’s someone on the Tour who has taken the fight to him, it’s the Serb. His win at the Australian Open at the same stage remains evidence for that.
The numbers suggest how the senior statesman comes into his own on the Wimbledon greens, with his redoubtable service game holding fort. Going into the 2026 tournament, he had won 77.6 percent of his first-serve points on the surface, a 4.6 percent increase from his overall figures. On the back of that surge, Djokovic has won 89.6 percent of his service games on grass, as against 86.1 percent on all surfaces.
“I’m still able to battle these young guys that are 15 years younger than me, and I’m able to beat them at the tightest possible scoreline. Of course, in a sense, it is really a nice surprise,” Djokovic said.

“I always have the highest expectations for myself. I can be very self-critical, very hard on myself. At the same time, I try to also enjoy moments like this.”Story continues below this ad
Until the enjoyment leaves, Djokovic will keep defying time and expectation.