Novak Djokovic might not be in top form right now, but former Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander is backing him to rediscover his fire at the French Open.
According to Wilander, the return to Paris, where Djokovic won Olympic gold last summer, will bring a major psychological boost to the Serbian legend.
Djokovic, who just turned 38, has had a shaky start to the 2025 season by his own standards. Still, Wilander believes there’s no sign of fading motivation, especially with the chance to perform again at Roland Garros.
“I don’t think that motivation is ever really going to drop for Novak Djokovic,” Wilander told TNT Sports. “It might be hard for him to play in the early rounds of a big tournament, but you cannot compare that.”
Despite the recent lack of titles, Djokovic reached the Miami final earlier this year, showing he’s still playing at a high level. Wilander pointed out the benefits of Djokovic spending time training with Andy Murray, which may have helped reset his mindset.
“He most probably learned so much from spending a few months with Andy Murray,” Wilander said. “And I think he’ll be inspired now that it’s best-of-five sets.”
The seven-time major winner added that returning to the scene of his Olympic success could be exactly what Djokovic needs to flip the switch.
“He’ll be inspired to go back to Paris because he won the Olympics there. And then obviously for him, Wimbledon is going to be the tournament where he has the best chance to win his 25th Grand Slam.”
Djokovic remains tied at 24 Grand Slam titles with Margaret Court and is chasing history with every major. For Wilander, it’s clear that Djokovic’s hunger to break records is still alive, and when that fades, he’ll simply walk away.
“I think when the motivation runs out for Novak Djokovic, we won’t see him anymore,” Wilander said. As for the physical challenge of five-set matches at this stage of his career, Wilander brushed off any doubts.
“I don’t think it’s an issue at all,” he said. “It’s going to be hard to play five sets, but we have to remember that when Novak Djokovic plays five sets, he only wins three of them, so the other two, he’s going to let go.”
According to Wilander, Djokovic knows how to manage his energy, even if it means dropping a set on purpose.
“If he goes down a break, he’s going to change the way he plays. He’s going to take risks, and he’s not going to get tired from losing a set. He might get tired from winning a set, but from losing, he’s not.”
With Roland Garros just around the corner, all eyes will be on Djokovic to see if a return to his golden memories in Paris can spark yet another deep run , and maybe another shot at history.
