Novak Djokovic might have one last chance to win an ATP Masters 1000 title at the 2025 Shanghai Masters.
Djokovic is 38. He won't get any younger, any quicker, or any healthier. Athletes who compete into their 40s are more prone to injuries, and those injuries also take longer to heal. That's just the reality of biology.
Throughout his tennis career, Djokovic has done an exceptional job of taking care of his body. However, playing at such a high level at 38 is also something we have never seen before. In fact, no man older than 37 years, 1 month, and 24 days has ever won a Grand Slam title. Ken Rosewall, who won the 1972 Australian Open, is the oldest man to win a major.
The only other players who managed to be competitive at a similar age were Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and, obviously, Djokovic. Federer is the second-oldest major champion, achieving his last Grand Slam triumph at the 2018 Australian Open when he was 36 years, 5 months, and 7 days old.
Djokovic's last Grand Slam title came at the 2023 US Open. He was 36 years, 3 months, and 6 days old at the time. When it comes to the ATP Masters 1000 champions, the list is very similar.
Federer won the 2019 Miami Open at 37 years and 235 days, while Djokovic triumphed at the 2023 Paris Masters when he was 36 years and 167 days old. Today, Djokovic is more than a year older than the oldest male Grand Slam champion and almost a year older than the oldest Masters winner. He is also nearly two years older than he was when he last won a Masters title.
Of course, records are meant to be broken, but there are also reasons why no one older than 37 ever managed to win a big title (Djokovic was also 37 when he won the 2024 Paris Olympics). The previously mentioned higher risk of injuries and longer recovery times are just two of the reasons, but one of the main reasons is that there is nowhere to hide on a tennis court.
Why Novak Djokovic has his last chance to win a Masters title in Shanghai
Djokovic is 38. He won't get any younger, any quicker, or any healthier. Athletes who compete into their 40s are more prone to injuries, and those injuries also take longer to heal. That's just the reality of biology.
Throughout his tennis career, Djokovic has done an exceptional job of taking care of his body. However, playing at such a high level at 38 is also something we have never seen before. In fact, no man older than 37 years, 1 month, and 24 days has ever won a Grand Slam title. Ken Rosewall, who won the 1972 Australian Open, is the oldest man to win a major.
The only other players who managed to be competitive at a similar age were Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and, obviously, Djokovic. Federer is the second-oldest major champion, achieving his last Grand Slam triumph at the 2018 Australian Open when he was 36 years, 5 months, and 7 days old.
Djokovic's last Grand Slam title came at the 2023 US Open. He was 36 years, 3 months, and 6 days old at the time. When it comes to the ATP Masters 1000 champions, the list is very similar.
Federer won the 2019 Miami Open at 37 years and 235 days, while Djokovic triumphed at the 2023 Paris Masters when he was 36 years and 167 days old. Today, Djokovic is more than a year older than the oldest male Grand Slam champion and almost a year older than the oldest Masters winner. He is also nearly two years older than he was when he last won a Masters title.
Of course, records are meant to be broken, but there are also reasons why no one older than 37 ever managed to win a big title (Djokovic was also 37 when he won the 2024 Paris Olympics). The previously mentioned higher risk of injuries and longer recovery times are just two of the reasons, but one of the main reasons is that there is nowhere to hide on a tennis court.
Why Novak Djokovic has his last chance to win a Masters title in Shanghai
