Novak Djokovic has enjoyed a fairly successful season in 2026, despite the fact a 25th Grand Slam title continues to elude him.
Djokovic reached the final of the Australian Open in his first tournament in 2026, which featured an absolutely brilliant five-set win against Jannik Sinner.
The Serbian muddled through the rest of the hardcourt swing and the start of the clay court season, before dropping out of the Roland Garros third round at the hands of Joao Fonseca.
Djokovic fared far better at Wimbledon, however, as he reached the semi finals of the competition. He was beaten by Sinner, who gained some revenge on the Serbian for his defeat in Melbourne.
Djokovic has been even more selective about the tournaments he has played in 2026, but he has still managed to notch up an impressive 14-5 win-loss record this season.
However, his biggest problem could not be clearer when it comes to the losses he has faced in 2026.
Novak Djokovic’s defeats in 2026
- Carlos Alcaraz – Australian Open
- Jack Draper – Indian Wells
- Dino Prizmic – Italian Open
- Joao Fonseca – Roland Garros
- Jannik Sinner – Wimbledon
Four of Djokovic’s five losses this season have come after he’s won the first set, so the 24-time Grand Slam champion has been unable to assert his dominance once he has taken a lead.
That is very off for Djokovic, who has proved himself one of the best-ever frontunners in the history of the sport.
Prior to the 2026 season, Djokovic won 82 straight matches after winning the first set, so it’s a new problem that Djokovic is going to need to solve.
It’s a particular problem for Djokovic, as he means he is all-but-confirmed to be in a match for the long haul, particularly on the Grand Slam stage.
More Novak Djokovic news
Djokovic was beaten by Fonseca at Roland Garros in five sets after he had taken a two-set lead. Likewise, he was one set up against Alcaraz in the Australian Open final.
It’s become clear that in order to win another Grand Slam, Djokovic needs to race to three set victories. If he can try and revert back to his frontrunner nature that we have seen for so much of his career, he will also bolster his Grand Slam hopes.
Djokovic will next attempt to earn a 25th Grand Slam at the US Open at the end of August, but he has confirmed another tournament in the run up.
The star is set to play the Cincinnati Open for the first time in three years, with the tournament set to begin on August 11th.
Djokovic has won the event three times in his career, in 2018, 2020, and 2023.
