Novak Djokovic is one of the favourites to lift the Wimbledon title this summer.
Despite suffering an early exit in Paris, many believe Djokovic has what it takes to challenge at the All England Club.
After all, Djokovic is a seven-time Wimbledon champion and hasn’t lost before the semis in London since 2017.
Who is your early shout to win the men’s Wimbledon title?
Three-time Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick certainly believes Djokovic has what it takes.
Andy Roddick ‘guarantees’ that Novak Djokovic is thinking Wimbledon is his shot to win a 25th Grand Slam
During the latest episode of ‘Served with Andy Roddick‘, the 43-year-old previewed Djokovic’s Wimbledon chances.
“I don’t know that we’ll find an analyst that doesn’t think Wimbledon is his best shot, especially without Carlos [Alcaraz],” said Roddick.
“There are question marks about Jannik [Sinner]…
“This is a real shot. I don’t hate that he didn’t make the semis of Roland Garros; I guarantee you he knows this is his shot.
“He’s taken a picture of the landscape of tennis; obviously, Sinner is still going to be Sinner, but he’s going, ‘Hmm, I could be the best grass-court player at this tournament. Am I in my prime? Probably not. Am I good enough?
“I don’t know, if I’m in Team Novak, I can convince myself of that reality pretty easily.”
Wimbledon is Djokovic’s second-most successful Grand Slam tournament, although he last won the title back in 2022.
Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam record
| Grand Slam | Titles | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Australian Open | 10 (2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023) | 104-11 | 90% |
| French Open | 3 (2016, 2021, 2023) | 103-18 | 85% |
| Wimbledon | 7 (2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) | 102-13 | 89% |
| US Open | 4 (2011, 2015, 2018, 2023) | 95-15 | 86% |
The Serb lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon finals, before losing to Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals last summer.
Luckily for Djokovic, as Roddick rightly mentioned, his two greatest challengers have encountered issues on their way to Wimbledon this year.
What’s happened to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?
Two-time Wimbledon champion Alcaraz won’t be returning to the All England Club this year, as he continues to recover from an injury he sustained in Barcelona.
The Spaniard had dreams of reclaiming the title he lost to Sinner 12 months ago, but will have to wait another year for a shot at his third Wimbledon crown.
Sinner, on the other hand, will travel to London, looking to defend his title.
There are question marks over his form and condition, though, following his shock defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the French Open.
The Italian won’t play any warm-up events before Wimbledon either, adding to the uncertainty.
Djokovic still faces an uphill battle in his chase for Grand Slam title number 25, but there’s a growing belief that this may be his best or even last chance.
What Novak Djokovic must do to stand a chance of winning Wimbledon
If Djokovic is going to win Wimbledon, he can’t afford any early slip-ups.
At the French Open last month, the 39-year-old dropped sets in his opening two matches, which, with all due respect to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Valentin Royer, should never have happened.
Novak Djokovic at the 2026 French Open
- 1R [WIN] vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, 5-7, 7-5, 1-6, 4-6
- 2R [WIN] vs Valentin Royer, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3
- 3R [LOSS] vs Joao Fonseca, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 5-7
A decade older than most of his rivals, Djokovic needs to be as fresh as possible if he is to stand any chance of physically competing in the second week of Wimbledon.
If Djokovic arrives at the quarter-finals without dropping a set, he may have enough left in the tank to challenge for the title.
But if he’s had to scrap through several five-set wars to get to the last eight, you wouldn’t be nearly as confident.
So while the real tests are likely to come in the second week of Wimbledon, if Djokovic wants to win the tournament, he must be near-perfect from the very first round.
The 2026 Wimbledon Championships begin on Monday, June 29.
