Roger Federer believes that his longtime rival, Novak Djokovic, will once again be a top contender at next year’s Australian Open, despite the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s inconsistent performance this year.
After winning the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open last year to reach 24 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic began the 2024 season ranked No. 1 and was expected to maintain his dominance in major tournaments. However, he faced setbacks, losing to Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals at Melbourne Park, withdrawing from the French Open quarter-finals due to knee surgery, losing in the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz, and being upset by Alexei Popyrin in the third round of the US Open.
Despite these challenges, Djokovic did secure a significant title this year by winning singles gold at the Paris Olympics, completing his career Grand Slam.
Sinner and Alcaraz ended up sharing the four major titles, with Sinner also winning at Flushing Meadows and Alcaraz taking the title at Roland Garros.
Many believe that these two young players will be the ones to beat next year, a sentiment shared by Federer. However, he also thinks Djokovic will remain a strong contender at the Australian Open.
“Novak won the Olympics and played a relatively full season—he didn’t withdraw due to injuries but chose to play less as is normal when you get older,” said the retired Swiss star. “I believe he has opportunities moving forward. I’m looking forward to Australia, which is the next Grand Slam. I think he’ll definitely be one of the favorites alongside Sinner and Alcaraz.”
Djokovic has played only 40 matches this year, which is significantly more than Nadal’s 19, as the Spaniard has struggled since returning to action after a lengthy absence last year.
Nadal underwent hip surgery in May 2023 and made his comeback at the start of 2024 but suffered another injury that forced him to miss the Australian Open. He participated in a few clay court events before the French Open but was eliminated in the first round at Roland Garros.
The 22-time major champion had aimed for a strong performance at the Paris Olympics but lost in the singles second round to Djokovic. He was also expected to compete at the Laver Cup but withdrew last week without providing any indication of when he would return to play.
Federer commented, “With Rafa, we don’t know—it remains to be seen. It’s difficult for me to predict what will happen with Rafa due to the limited tennis he has played this year.”
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