Novak Djokovic’s ‘invincibility factor has worn down’, says former world No 1

Novak Djokovic’s playing future might well depend on how he performs at the French Open with a former doubles world No 1 suggesting the tennis great could decide to join Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in retirement if he continues to struggle in the next few weeks.

The 2025 season has been a difficult one so far for Djokovic despite his positive start at the Australian Open where he reached the semi-final before an injury forced him to retire from his match against Alexander Zverev.

He then lost his opening encounters at the Qatar Open and Indian Wells Open before finishing runner-up to Jakub Mensik at the Miami Open, but he hasn’t won a match since March as he lost early in Monte Carlo and, most recently, in Madrid.

Djokovic – who hasn’t won a Grand Slam since lifting the 2023 US Open trophy – is 12-7 so far this campaign and he has now confirmed he won’t play at the Italian Open, instead switching focus to the French Open.

There has been talk that the 24-time major winner could take a last-minute entry into the ATP 500 Geneva event the week before Roland Garros in order to get some matches under his belt.

Sixteen-time Grand Slam men’s doubles champion Todd Woodbridge believes Djokovic is facing a crucial period in terms of his future.

“About six weeks ago or maybe just before Miami or at the end of Miami I made a point that if he’s going to win a major this year he has to play a lot of matches and he hasn’t been able to do that,” he said on the official Australian Open YouTube Channel.

“Should he play Geneva, which he did the year before, he probably needs to win more.

“But here’s the new scenario and the thing he’s got to lose to people he has never lost before and they’re all starting to go out there going ‘Oh this could be my chance now’.

“The invincibility factor has worn down and he has go to make that decision – which it seems he’s made by pulling out of Rome – ‘I’m going to go on what I’ve done before I’m going to go on my reputation, going into my aura at Roland Garros and see if I can pull that off’.