The Serb's quest for 25th Grand Slam extends to 2026.
The 21-year era of domination has finally come to an end. For two decades, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal held complete control over the Grand Slams. Year after year after 2003, they were there in the final, competing for sport’s biggest trophies. For 21 years, at least one Grand Slam final had one of these three playing. But not anymore, Carlos Alcaraz has defeated Novak Djokovic in the US Open semifinal, and the streak is now over.
It’s been quite a year for Novak Djokovic. Even though he’s 38, the 24-time Grand Slam champion has been highly competitive throughout 2025. The fact that he made it to the semifinals of each Grand Slam is enough evidence that he still has a lot in the tank. However, the Djoker just cannot find a way around Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz. And that was visible once again.
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in a rather straightforward fashion. The 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 win wasn’t just easy; it also showed the clear gap that now exists between the Serb and the Spaniard. Djokovic did beat Alcaraz earlier this year in the Australian Open, but the 22-year-old admitted that he had lost his concentration. Now that he has worked on that aspect, it seems Djokovic will have to find something else to beat Alcaraz.
More importantly, however, is the fact that the era of the Big 3 is officially over. Yes, Djokovic is still playing, and the chances of him winning another Grand Slam aren’t zero, but the one-sided domination no longer exists. From 2003 to 2024, the Big Three played in at least one Grand Slam final every year. In fact, during that period, they missed only 12 finals.
Just 12 finals out of 91 Grand Slams – that’s absurd and shows their dominance. But now that era is over and as Djokovic accepted – things are rather difficult for him right now.
Novak Djokovic made it to the semi-finals in all 4 Grand Slams this year. However, apart from the Australian Open where he was forced to retire midmatch against Alexander Zverev, it was Sinner and Alcaraz that eliminated him. That’s probably why the Serb admitted that he is at a clear disadvantage now against the two young stars.
“I think you’re right, I lost three out of four slams in semis against these guys, so they’re just too good, playing at a high level,” Djokovic said after the match. Certainly, this is a big challenge for Djokovic, and he’ll need to overcome it if he wants to win his 25th Grand Slam. Luckily for him, the next Grand Slam he’ll play is his personal playground. Can Djokovic do something special then?
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
