Former Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic is part of the Wimbledon draw that was announced on Friday. However, his participation remains uncertain due to the recent surgeries he is recovering from.
The 37-year-old Serbian is a seven-time champion in the competition. He underwent surgery less than a month ago to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. However, reports from his recent practice sessions suggest the 24-time Grand Slam winner appears ready to compete in 2025.
The last time Djokovic won the Wimbledon was in 2022. In the 2023 and 2024 editions, Djokovic lost to Spain’s Carlos Alvarez in both finals, preventing the Serb from securing an eighth title twice.
Djokovic failed to win a major title in 2024 for the first time since his stardom in 2017. Losing early in the year to Team Australia in the United Cup, Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open, and Luka Nardi in the Indian Wells Open. In the Clay Court season, his losing streak continued with defeats to Casper Ruud in the Monte-Carlo Masters, Alejandro Tabilo in the Italian Open, Tomáš Macháč in the Geneva Open, and Caspar Ruud again in the French Open.
The Grass court season wasn’t favorable to the Serb either. He lost to Alexei Popyrin in four sets at the US Open, and Jannik Sinner in the finals of the Shanghai Masters, before withdrawing from the ATP Finals following fitness issues.
Despite this setback which has been heavily influenced by his age and fitness, the Serb clinched a long-awaited Olympic gold medal in August. It is also the first time since 2005 that he did not win an ATP event despite reaching two finals.
The 37-year-old is the only one of the ‘Big Four’ still playing after Murray and Rafael Nadal’s retirements this year, and Roger Federer’s in 2022, but he shows no signs of stopping any time soon. The living tennis legend despite his struggles through the year showed resilience in his interest to continue participating on a high level. The multiple records he broke in 2024 include;
- Became the oldest world No. 1 of all time (37 years, 18 days).
- Became the third player to accomplish the Career Golden Slam, the second to accomplish the Career Super Slam & the first to complete the career sweep of the Big Titles.
- Became the third player in the Open Era to win 1,100 tour-level matches, after Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer.
- Became the first player in history to reach the semifinals at 4 different Olympics.
- Became the oldest Olympic gold medalist in men’s singles & reached the Olympics final for the first time in his career, surpassing his bronze medal win in 2008.
- Became the first player to have 90 wins at each grand slam in the Open Era.
- Extended his record of 13 Olympic singles victories (previously tied with Federer) to 19.
- Extended his men’s Open Era record of 405 weeks as world No. 1 to 428.
- Extended his men’s Open Era record of 71 big titles to 72.
- Extended his record of 36 Grand Slam men’s singles finals to 37.
- Extended his record of 47 Grand Slam men’s singles semifinals to 49.
- Extended his record of 31 Grand Slam first-place seedings to 33.
- Extended his record of 76 Masters 1000 semifinals (previously tied with Nadal) to 78.
- Extended his record of 58 Masters 1000 finals to 59.
- Extended his Open Era record of 257 wins over the top 10 ranked men’s singles players to 259.
- Surpassed Roger Federer’s record of 58 Grand Slam men’s singles quarterfinals to 60.
- Surpassed Roger Federer’s record of 369 career Grand Slam match wins to 377.
- Surpassed Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s record for most seasons with at least one major final made to 16.
- He equaled Nadal’s record of 17 consecutive seasons of at least one ATP Masters 1000 semifinal reached per season.
- Maintained his Open Era men’s singles record of the highest career winning percentage (minimum 500 wins) at 83.51% (1124–222).
Scotland’s Andy Murray who retired early this year was also included in the list for the tournament. His recent collaboration with Djokovic adds to the mix of what is to be expected in the 2025 season.
The Scottish tennis master’s career was blessed with a total of 46 ATP Tour singles titles including three Grand Slam Titles, two Olympic Gold Medals, and fourteen ATP Masters 1000 Titles. His recent surgery made him a doubt for the preparations should he choose to come out of retirement.
The 2013 and 2016 title winner had a cyst removed from his spinal cord last weekend. Speaking on Thursday, he indicated he would decide at the last moment whether to play singles or doubles with his brother, Jamie.
Djokovic is the tournament’s No. 2 seed and is set to face Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva on Tuesday. Murray (unseeded) is also scheduled for a Tuesday opener against Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy is the top seed while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain is seeded third. The other top-10 seeds include No. 4 Alexander Zverev (Germany), No. 5 Daniil Medvedev (Russia), No. 6 Andrey Rublev (Russia), No. 7 Hubert Hurkacz (Poland), No. 8 Casper Ruud (Norway), No. 9 Alex de Minaur (Australia), and No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria). The highest-seeded American, Tommy Paul, is ranked 12th.
Wimbledon Replaces Line Judges with Line-Calling Technology
Wimbledon has announced that it will replace line judges with electronic line-calling starting in 2025, marking a significant modernization technique for the historic Grand Slam tournament.
The All England Club stated the decision came after extensive testing during the 2024 championships and builds on years of using ball-tracking and line-calling technology which is now popular in most ball games.
“We consider the technology to be sufficiently robust and the time is right to take this important step in seeking maximum accuracy in our officiating,” said Sally Bolton, CEO of the All England Club. She highlighted that players will benefit from the same conditions used at tournaments such as the U.S. Open and Australian Open.
The French Open will remain the only Grand Slam without electronic line-calling, as the Australian Open and U.S. Open have already eliminated line judges in favor of similar systems. Hawk-Eye Live has been utilized at the U.S. Open for all courts since the 2021 edition.
Line judges, which have been a long-standing tradition at Wimbledon known for their elegant uniforms, will no longer feature in the officiating team. Bolton acknowledged their “valuable contribution” over the years and emphasized that the club aims to balance “tradition and innovation.”
Additionally, the All England Club announced a scheduling change for the finals. Starting in 2025, the men’s and women’s singles finals will begin at 4 p.m. local time, after doubles finals earlier in the day. This adjustment aims to ensure the finals day “builds towards the crescendo” with champions crowned before the largest global audience.
Secure Wimbledon 2025 Tickets!
Don’t miss your chance to experience the magic at Wimbledon 2025. Get Wimbledon tickets and secure seats at the pinnacle of tennis tradition and elegance. With official sites sold out, you can still secure spots for yourself and loved ones through secondary marketplaces.
Immerse yourself in the excitement of Centre Court or find a cozy spot at No. 1 Court to witness the world’s best tennis players in action. Check out the seat maps to select the perfect view for an unforgettable day filled with strawberries, cream, and high-intensity matches. Act now and make your Wimbledon dreams come true!