{"id":2081044,"date":"2026-08-06T15:00:52","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T12:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2081044"},"modified":"2026-08-06T15:00:52","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T12:00:52","slug":"why-the-final-grand-slam-record-novak-djokovic-is-chasing-has-a-hollow-ring-around-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2081044","title":{"rendered":"Why the final Grand Slam record Novak Djokovic is chasing has a hollow ring around it"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Why the final Grand Slam record Novak Djokovic is chasing has a hollow ring around it<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/kevin-palmer\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Kevin Palmer                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"06 Aug 2026 4:00 PM\" data-ps-date=\"06 Aug 2026 4:00 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1786028452\"><br \/>\n                            06 Aug 2026 4:00 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/novak-djokovic-last-grand-slam-dream-hollow\" class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" aria-label=\"Share to facebook\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fnovak-djokovic-last-grand-slam-dream-hollow\" class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" aria-label=\"Share to twitter\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fnovak-djokovic-last-grand-slam-dream-hollow\" class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" aria-label=\"Share to linkedin\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/\/send\/?text=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fnovak-djokovic-last-grand-slam-dream-hollow\" aria-label=\"Share to whatsapp\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/share.flipboard.com\/bookmarklet\/popout?v=2&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fnovak-djokovic-last-grand-slam-dream-hollow\" aria-label=\"Share to flipboard\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Why the final Grand Slam record Novak Djokovic is chasing has a hollow ring around it\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Novak-Djokovic-1-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: Novak Djokovic during his Wimbledon 2026 match against Roman Safiullin.\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Novak Djokovic during his Wimbledon 2026 match against Roman Safiullin                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p>Tennis greatness is currently judged using a Grand Slam count, but two legends of the sport have insisted that gauge is not entirely reliable.<\/p>\n<p>When the era dominated by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic is judged, the three most successful male players of all-time will be judged on the number of Grand Slam titles they have won.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/novak-djokovic\">Djokovic<\/a> has been declared the winner of the greatest rivalry in the history of the game as his 24 major titles put him ahead of Nadal on 22 and Federer on 20.<\/p>\n<p>The primary reason why Djokovic is continuing his career after he toasted his 39th birthday last May is to try and take his Grand Slam tally to 25, which would move him one head of Margaret Court in the all time list.<\/p>\n<p>Yet the reality is the number Djokovic could and should be chasing could be well beyond 30 if the current landscape in tennis was in place in the 1970s and 80s.<\/p>\n<h2>More Tennis News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/andy-murray-reason-jannik-sinner-and-novak-djokovics-canadian-open-withdrawals\">Andy Murray has already suggested the reason for Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic\u2019s Canadian Open withdrawals<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/jannik-sinner-novak-djokovic-canadian-open-writhdrawals\">ATP Canadian Open withdrawal list: Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic join growing list of absentees<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Back then, many of the top female and male players did not compete at the Australian Open and that had a two-fold impact on the Grand Slam records that are not viewed as the ultimate milestones in the sport.<\/p>\n<p>A glance at the appearance records for many of the game\u2019s great highlights how their Grand Slam records could have reached a very different conclusion if they had played more often at the major events.<\/p>\n<p>Their absence means the 11 wins for Court at the Australian Open put a slightly different perspective on her dominance in her home Slam, with many of the game\u2019s biggest names opting out of making the long trip Down Under at the start of the year in favour of playing more lucrative events in America and Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert are great examples of players who opted out of playing at the Australian Open at a time when they were comfortably the best two players in the women\u2019s game.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe didn\u2019t play in Australia for a long time,\u201d said Navratilova, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles. \u201cBack in our day, playing on the women\u2019s tour and trying to build that up was more important than playing in Australia, but all we hear about now is the Grand Slam record.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe reality is, it was different when we were playing. If Chrissie (Evert) and I had played every year in Australia and also at the French Open for me, maybe I would have more Slams now, but it was different then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A glance at Navratilova\u2019s record confirms she missed 12 editions of the Australian Open over the course of her career, with the number of titles she could have won in that period highlighted by the seven straight singles titles she won at the event from 1982.<\/p>\n<p>Then at the French Open, Navratilova was also missing for 12 tournament in Paris, with the 24 Grand Slams she was absent for highlighting how many she could now have.<\/p>\n<p>Evert also has an interesting record in Slams, with her record of 18 Grand Slam wins impacted by absence from the Australian Open on 12 occasions.<\/p>\n<p>She also missed six French Open tournaments in her career, leaving her with 18 missed Grand Slams that could have substantially boosted her final total.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t just female players who missed out on additional Grand Slam chances, as seven-time Grand Slam winner John McEnroe did not play in ten Australian Open\u2019s during his career and he also failed to make an appearance in six French Opens, with his focus always on Wimbledon and the US Open.<\/p>\n<p>McEnroe\u2019s great rival Bjorn Borg played at the Australian Open once in his career, while American greats Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi missed numerous editions of the opening Slam of the year.<\/p>\n<p>While Djokovic\u2019s Grand Slam battle with Federer and Nadal was compelling, the record of 25 Grand Slam titles he is looking to create now could have been well over 30 and maybe even 35 if Navratilova and Evert played in this era.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/novak-djokovic-criticism-patrick-mouratoglou\">Patrick Mouratoglou hits back at Novak Djokovic claims as he \u2018completely disagrees\u2019 with snipes<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why the final Grand Slam record Novak Djokovic is chasing has a hollow ring around it Kevin Palmer 06 Aug 2026 4:00 PM Novak Djokovic during his Wimbledon 2026 match against Roman Safiullin Tennis greatness is currently judged using a Grand Slam count, but two legends of the sport have insisted that gauge is not [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-2081044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2081044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2081044"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2081044\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2081044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2081044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2081044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}