Mumbai: Novak Djokovic played in and made it to the Wimbledon final the previous year, despite having a severely bandaged right knee. It was only a few weeks after his operation to fix a torn medial meniscus. Despite only using one healthy leg, he was able to advance to the championship round with ease. After that, Carlos Alcaraz defeated him in straight sets.

The men's singles competition at Wimbledon, the most esteemed of the Grand Slams, provides a hint as to how the tournament may turn out this year. There are probably only two players in Alcaraz and Djokovic that are completely at ease with the intricacies of grass court play.

One of the toughest transitions in the game is thought to be playing at Wimbledon only a few weeks after the clay season's high bounce and slow ball finish, when the ball stays low and moves quickly across the ground. However, Djokovic's greatest opportunity—and maybe his final chance—to win his 25th Grand Slam championship may be found in this reversal.

The last survivor of the golden age of men's tennis is Djokovic. However, he gave an initial strong sign earlier this month at the French Open that the end is likely approaching for him as well.

Following his semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner, Djokovic stopped, waved to the audience, and touched the red clay of Court Philippe-Chatrier before leaving. Later, he said that "it might have been the last match" he ever played in the Parisian major. He quit as the best Grand Slam player of the Open Era if that was actually the last time.

The Serbian has accomplished everything there is to do in tennis. However, despite repeatedly claiming that he is motivated by data and statistics, he has found it difficult to surpass Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam championships.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, his two biggest rivals, have been retired for a long time. However, they are being replaced by two bright and talented young men, the world's top sinner and the second-best Alcaraz.

“It's not easy growing older and competing against these young kids,” former world No.1 Jimmy Connors remarked on the Advantage Connors podcast. “It simply happens to every athlete. It is impossible to top it. When you get older, the athletes become younger, and when they enter and want to establish their name like Sinner and Alcaraz, they want to use you, the older guy, as their stepping stone.

In 2023, when the Spaniard triumphed in a thrilling five-set final at Wimbledon, Alcaraz had put an end to Djokovic's 34-match winning streak. Later, Sinner ruled the world. At the French Open the previous year, the Serb came in first.

The pair have split the past six majors as well.

However, the number of familiar opponents for Djokovic appears to be dwindling as the top players from around the world arrive in London for the Slam, which begins on Monday. Because of the grass.

In the previous six Wimbledon tournaments, Djokovic has made it to the championship, winning four times and losing the last two to Alcaraz. Out of the current crop of players, the Spaniard is the only one who has seemed at ease on grass, particularly with his aggressive all-court approach.

As the two-time reigning champion, he will once again be Djokovic's main obstacle as the seasoned player attempts to capture that elusive 25th. Despite Djokovic's drop in the rankings and absence from winning a Grand Slam since the US Open in 2023, he remains a formidable competitor at Wimbledon.

“I just cannot discount Djokovic on grass,” Wally Masur, the former world No. 15, told ausopen.com. “On grass, Djokovic is a little better against the field given his experience and the way that he sort of understands the nature of the surface.

"I don't believe he's all that far from the standard needed to win Wimbledon." He is lifted above the competition by this surface. Therefore, if you ask me, is he in that location or not? He definitely is.

His ambition to become a well-known figure in the sport was sparked by the lush fields of Wimbledon, where he spent his childhood in war-torn Serbia.

If he won this time, he would be the oldest person, regardless of gender, to ever win a singles Grand Slam in the Open Era. If he wins, he will be the most accomplished major league player in history. It will also bring him into parity with Federer for the most Wimbledon men's singles championships.

Lots of records are available. For Djokovic, it's probably now or never.

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