Everything Novak Djokovic said about saving tennis: Serb's concerns about declining popularity of the sport, proposed hybrid format & more
Novak Djokovic spoke about quite a few things during Wimbledon. These included tennis' decreasing popularity amid the rise of other sports like padel and the format of Grand Slam matches.
The Serb entered the grass-court Major just weeks after undergoing surgery on his knee. He started the tournament strongly with a straight-set win over Vit Kopriva and followed it up by defeating Jacob Fearnley 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.
The World No. 2 then came back from a set down to defeat Alexei Popyrin 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) and book his place in the fourth round. He was asked his thoughts about the present five-set format in Grand Slam matches in his post-match press conference and replied by supporting it. Djokovic said that players liked to play the format.
"Well, I mean, five-set matches, nowadays you can only see them in Grand Slams, right? That's what I guess excites both players and the crowd. Most of the people love to see it. We as players like to play it. Maybe not that often," the Serb said.
Djokovic further spoke about the five-set format and how a player could feel confident if they were fitter or more experienced than their opponent. He also said that the matches that lasted five sets were important for tennis' history and future. The Serb said that he would support the format especially during the business end of a Grand Slam.
"I think if you're physically fitter I guess than your opponent or have more experience than your opponent in best-of-five, it still gives you a sense of confidence and tranquility, even though you're two sets to love down. Of course, there is a sense of urgency. You still feel like there's still quite a lot of time for me to kind of bounce back," the Serb said.
"Throughout my career, I've had quite a few matches where I was coming back from two sets to love or two sets to one down. Winning record mostly, positive score in a fifth setter. I enjoyed those throughout my career. I think they're an important aspect of the history and of the future, as well, of the sport. I would support it, particularly in the latter stages of the Grand Slam," he added.
While Djokovic said that Grand Slam matches should be played in the best-of-five format, he also spoke about a hybrid system where the initial rounds could have three sets whereas the current format could be used from the fourth round onwards.
"I've seen there's been quite a lot of debate on that. You guys have been asking a lot of players whether the best-of-five should be turned into best-of-three in the slams. I don't think so. I think they should stay best-of-five. The only thing that I'm maybe thinking it could be good to consider is the opening rounds that could go best-of-three, then you move into the hybrid of best-of-fives from the fourth rounds or quarters. I don't know," Djokovic said.
"That's just me, my thinking. I think best-of-five, particularly in the last three or four rounds of a slam, you need to keep. But in terms of innovation in tennis, in our sport, I think it's necessary," he added.
Another notable topic that Novak Djokovic spoke about in the press conference was the lack of accessibility in tennis. The Serb said that efforts needed to be made in order to create a foundation in tennis at the "base level".
"Tennis is a very global sport and it's loved by millions of children that pick up a racquet and want to play. But we don't make it accessible. We don't make it so affordable. Especially in countries like mine that doesn't have a strong federation, that has Grand Slam or history or big budgets," the Serb said.
"I think collectively we all have to come together and understand how to maintain the sport's, let's say, foundation or create a new foundation, a cornerstone of really what tennis is about, which is the base level, right, the club level," he added.
Djokovic also spoke about the emergence of padel and pickleball and said that tennis was "endangered at the club level"
"Now we have the paddle or padel, as you call it in the States, that is growing and emerging. People kind of have fun with it and say, Yeah, but tennis is tennis. Tennis is the king or queen of all the racquet sports, that's true," the Serb said.
"But on a club level, tennis is endangered. If we don't do something about it, as I said, globally or collectively, paddle, pickleball in States, they're going to convert all the tennis clubs into paddle and pickleball because it's just more economical," Djokovic added.
The Serb booked his place in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over 15th seed Holger Rune. This is his third successive victory over the Dane and he now leads 4-2 in the head-to-head between the two. Djokovic will play in his 15th Wimbledon quarterfinal.
Novak Djokovic will take on Alex de Minaur in Wimbledon QF
After his comprehensive win over Holger Rune, Novak Djokovic will next face ninth seed Alex de Minaur in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. The Aussie booked his place in the last eight of the London Major for the very first time in his career by beating Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Djokovic and De Minaur will be locking horns for the fourth time, with the Serb leading 2-1 in the head-to-head between the two. Their first encounter came in the fourth round of the 2023 Australian Open, and the 24-time Grand Slam champion won 6-2, 6-1, 6-2.
De Minaur defeated Djokovic 6-4, 6-4 in their second match, which came in the United Cup 2024 quarterfinal tie between Australia and Serbia. The third match between the two came in the quarterfinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters, with the Serb triumphing 7-5, 6-4.
Whoever between Djokovic and De Minaur comes out on top, will face either 13th seed Taylor Fritz or 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the Wimbledon semifinals. The Serb already has a dominant head-to-head record against both players, winning all of his matches against the American while triumphing in five out of six fixtures against the Italian.
Djokovic faced Fritz at this year's Australian Open and beat him 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. The Serb locked horns with Musetti twice in 2024, defeating him 7-5, 6-3 in the third round of the Monte-Carlo Masters before triumphing 7-5, 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 in the third round of the French Open.