At 38, it's usually hard to maintainelite relevance in men's tennis.
However, that does not apply to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic!
For these legends, turning 38 became another chapter in redefining what longevity trulymeans. What makes the story even more interesting, they did that in strikingly different ways.
What stands as a constant is their ability to leave much younger opponents behind on the ATP ranking list and present their A-game on the most notable scenes.
Federer's 2019 season was built on rhythm, volume and brilliance. The Swiss Maestro compiled a stunning 53-10 record, captured four ATP titles and finished in the top-3 behind Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
The 38-year-old remained a force across all surfaces. He reached the Roland Garros semi-final and stood a point away from his ninth Wimbledon trophy in that epic final against Djokovic.
The Serb prevailed and kept the Swiss away from his 21st Major trophy a couple of weeks before turning 38. Roger fell to Grigor Dimitrov in the US Open quarter-final.
Federer lost the Indian Wells final to Dominic Thiem before bouncing back in Miami. The veteran lifted a trophy and became the oldest Masters 1000 champion, a feat that still stands.
Roger backed up those results with three ATP 500 crowns in Dubai, Halle and Basel, reinforcing his sustained excellence and leaving the season with 103 ATP trophies in his CV.
Novak's 2025 campaign offered different perspective but similar brilliance. With his body demanding careful management, the Belgrade native trimmed his schedule and threw everything at Majors.
Djokovic provided remarkable consistency at the biggest events. He reached all four Major semi-final and wrapped up the season in the top-4, behind Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev.
Novak's 39-11 record includes two ATP 250 titles. The first, in Geneva in May, sent him into tennis Olympus, as he became the third player in the Open era with 100 ATP titles, joining Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer.
Djokovic reached the Miami final and had a chance to become the oldest Masters 1000 champion. However, he fell to Jakub Mensik 7-6, 7-6 and failed to steal the record from Federer.
The Serb played well in Shanghai as well, entering the last four and becoming the oldest Masters 1000 semi-finalist. Physical issues ultimately cut his season short before Turin, but Novak did not care after winning an emotional title in Athens.
Together, Federer and Djokovic presented two versions of greatness at 38 - one built of flow and abundance, and the other on precision and survival. The joint mark - they were both unmistakably elite!
