Novak Djokovic finished the season as world no. 4, wrapping up his 17th year-end top-4 season and leaving Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on 16. At 38, the Serb enjoyed a couple of great runs in 2025.
Novak reached the semi-final at all four Majors, an incredible feat at his age. He also fought for the title in Miami, reached the Shanghai semi-final and lifted two ATP titles.
Despite reducing his schedule, Djokovic still embraced a notable campaign that highlights his timeless fighting spirit and greatness. For Greg Rusedski, Novak enjoyed a better season than Alexander Zverev.
The German wrapped up the year as world no. 3. However, he claimed only one ATP title and struggled against the rivals from the top, having won only four of 15 encounters against the top-10 rivals.
ADVERTISEMENT
Unlike Djokovic, Zverev did reach a Major final, achieving that in Australia but falling to Jannik Sinner. Alexander and Novak fought in the Roland Garros quarter-final, with the veteran sealing the deal in four sets.
The German did not like his tennis at Wimbledon and the US Open. Overall, he finished the season behind only Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, which sounds great on paper.
In reality, Zverev is closer to the bottom of the ATP rankings list than the rivals in front of him, and he knows that very well. On the other hand, Novak is pleased with his run in 2025, although not completely.
For the Serb at this stage of his career, Majors are still the most powerful driving force. While reaching four semi-finals this year, he fell to Sinner and Alcaraz three times and struggled physically.
ADVERTISEMENT
Djokovic is eager to make another push in 2026 after still dreaming of that elusive 25th Major crown. As always, he wants to challenge the rivals from the top and extend his incredible legacy over two decades after debuting on the most notable stage.
For Rusedski and many others, he remains the third-best player in the world and a contender for big trophies. After all, you should never write off a champion of his caliber, not after everything he has achieved.
"You know it's time to retire when you are not enjoying it anymore. Novak is still the third-best player in the world, even though the rankings do not say so.
He is likely to need a bit of luck to win a Major by the end of his career because of Carlos and Jannik. However, we should never write off a great champion," Greg Rusedski said.
