The 2024 campaign is now at an end and the Serbian failed to win a Grand Slam for the first time since 2017.
He only claimed just one title over the course of the year, though it was the Olympic gold medal, the one he craved most.
Novak Djokovic did reach the final at Wimbledon and the Shanghai Masters, but he was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner respectively.
Djokovic is now keen to hit the ground running in 2025 with Andy Murray in his corner when they head to Australia.
What is Rennae Stubbs’ ‘shocking’ claim about Novak Djokovic?
Becoming an Olympic champion and finishing runner-up at a Grand Slam and Masters 1000 event would be an impressive year for many years.
But given the lofty standards Djokovic has set through the course of his glittering career, 2024 feels like an underwhelming year, especially after winning three of the four majors the year before.
Djokovic’s lack of titles certainly shocked Rennae Stubbs, and was also surprised that the Serbian played one more event than Jannik Sinner.
According to the PIF ATP Rankings, Djokovic played 18 tournaments and Sinner played 17 during the ranking period, which may surprise some fans given how many events the former World number one missed.
“Novak played 18 tournaments this year. That’s a lot. He played more than Medvedev, he played the same as Alcaraz and he actually played one more than Jannik Sinner,” Stubbs said on her self-titled Rennae Stubbs podcast.
“In actual fact that shows you, because you and I follow tennis a lot, in the fact that we didn’t play that much, that shows you – and I don’t want to say this because I know I am going to get haters – that just shows how bad a year he had for his standards.
“And his standards are not going anywhere, he is the greatest player of all time, so the fact he won one tournament this year and it was the Olympics was pretty shocking and he was in one final. That is crazy. And the fact he did play more than Sinner and you felt he didn’t play this year.”
Novak Djokovic reflects on his 2024 season
Djokovic’s 2024 season ended following defeat to Sinner in the Shanghai Masters final.
Djokovic qualified for the ATP Finals but he withdrew from the event due to injury and therefore was unable to defend the title. Though he did not win as many titles as he would have liked in 2024, Djokovic was content with what he achieved.
“Well, I mean, compared to most of my seasons throughout my career, this has been one of the worst-performing seasons in terms of results,” Djokovic said after the Shanghai final.
“But, you know, it was going to come at some point where, you know, I wouldn’t win Slams and maintain that highest level for so many years in a row.
“And that’s okay, I’m happy with my gold medal from the Olympics. That was the main goal for this year. And, you know, of course I wish that I could have gotten at least a Grand Slam title or won big title, but it’s fine, you know, it is what it is.
“It’s a kind of a season that you just have to accept, embrace, and I’m more than happy with what I have achieved throughout my career, so I’ll just, yeah, see what next challenges bring to me.”
