Ljubicic raises doubts about Djokovic's future: "He will surely be motivated in Paris, but what will he do next?"

The image displayed by Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon 2024 final, where he was dominated from start to finish by Carlos Alcaraz, has raised alarm bells. Despite his heroic recovery from his meniscus tear and reaching the final in London, in the last match, a limited and surpassed Nole was seen in all aspects by the Spanish, who is 15 years younger. This age gap and difference in play shown by both have sparked a debate about Djokovic's short and medium-term future. How much tennis does the Serbian have left? Ivan Ljubicic, former player and coach of Roger Federer, gave his opinion in the Slovenian outlet 'Sportklub.' “We are not far from a complete generational change. That's life,” confesses the Croatian, who also revealed what Boris Becker told him after the final: “Boris Becker recently told me that it seems Djokovic practically accepted Alcaraz's superiority. Something he never did with Nadal and Federer.” Djokovic was practically overwhelmed by the Spanish from the first point to the last. Although it should be noted that his lack of match practice due to his recent meniscus operation played a significant role. - Lack of motivation without Nadal and Federer However, Ljubicic touched on a deeper and more interesting topic than Novak's level in the Wimbledon final. He spoke about Djokovic's motivation beyond the Olympics: “He will surely be motivated in Paris, but what will he do next? Without Federer, without Nadal, everything is different,” the former tennis player opines. With the absence of the Swiss and the nearing retirement of the Spanish, Djokovic is left alone, lacking the same motivation, despite the emergence of the two new pillars of tennis: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. “I remember John McEnroe saying in a documentary I recently watched that when Bjorn Borg retired, he felt like a part of him retired too, even though he continued playing. I must say I have a similar feeling, with Roger retiring and Rafa not playing much. It's a strange sensation,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion stated a few months ago. - According to Ljubicic, it's a "psychological problem" The lack of motivation could be a key aspect of Djokovic's irregular year; without any titles throughout the season and only reaching the Wimbledon final. However, Ljubicic added another condition in an interview a few months ago, this time in the 'Gazzetta dello Sport,' where he seemed to foresee the future: “His is a psychological problem, he certainly hasn't forgotten how to play tennis. Without a doubt, Nole must have that fire inside him, or else he's lacking something. He's used to fighting for every point, conquering the court inch by inch, and if he doesn't feel those stimuli, he may run into difficulties.” No one doubts that Djokovic's mind is 100% focused on the Paris Olympics to achieve that coveted gold and thus conquer all possible titles for a tennis player. But whether he wins or not, Djokovic's next objectives must be stimulating and motivating for the most decorated tennis player of all time. Otherwise, the option of hanging up the racket may loom on the horizon.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ljubicic siembra dudas con el futuro de Djokovic: “Seguro que estará motivado en París, ¿pero qué hará después?