James Blake makes big prediction after Novak Djokovic's lackluster US Open

09/05/2024 09:50 PM

James Blake honestly confessed that him picking Novak Djokovic to win the US Open didn't turn out to be the smartest choice but still believes that the 37-year-old can have a couple of more big years and even land Grand Slams at the age of 40 if he is still motivated to do it. 

Going into this year's US Open, many wondered how would the defending champion look physically and mentally after accomplishing his big dream of becoming an Olympic champion and then not playing any tournaments on hard leading up to the final Major of the year. 

And it didn't take long for fans to get the answer to that question as the No. 2 seed struggled heavily with his serve and he didn't seem to be anywhere close to his best in New York. While Djokovic was able to make it past his opening two matches, he wasn't as lucky in the third round as Alexei Popyrin upset him 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4. 

However, that wasn't the only major upset that occurred early at the US Open since Carlos Alcaraz was also bounced in the second round by Botic van de Zandschulp.

"Of course I was surprised in the first moment because you always expect them to go to the very end. However, if you look at the facts objectively, they did a lot in the previous period. Both were in the finals of Wimbledon and the Olympic Games, Alcaraz also won Roland Garros. Novak achieved his biggest goal, he achieved the Olympic gold. They spent a lot of energy. I think that the bigger problem was psychological than physical preparation," former world No. 4 Blake told Sport Klub.

"The level is very high in New York. Guys who are ranked 40 or 50 are playing really good tennis. It's a shame for the tournament because, as you said, the two are certainly two of the biggest stars. Novak was my pick to go to the very end, I didn't turn out to be very smart. It was really difficult to play top tennis on three different surfaces in a month and a half."

After the record 24-time Slam champion lost in this year's Australian Open semifinal - saw his French Open campaign end with an unfortunate injury - and lose in straight sets in the Wimbledon final, some were convinced that he was done. But then, the Serb won his first title of the year at the Paris Olympics and completed his resume which only lacked a gold medal. 

Now that the 37-year-old is guaranteed to finish 2024 without a Major won this year, some are back to questioning if he can land a Slam again in the future.

"Everything depends on Novak. Physically, he is still perfectly fit. Now it's just a question of whether he wants to. He has done and won everything in this sport. He still has that fire when he wakes up. Does he still want to sacrifice everything to continue to be the best," Blake explained.

"He has been doing this for almost the last 20 years. If he wants, then he certainly has, I won't prejudge, but one or two good years. His level of tennis is incredible even at 37 years old. The question is not whether he can, but whether he wants to. If he wants to, he will be a candidate for Grand Slam titles by the time he is 40."

After the second-seeded beat Radu Albot in three sets in his opening match at this year's US Open, he was interviewed on the court by the former American tennis star. And since the 2006 ATP Finals runner-up was impressed by the 37-year-old's exceptional physicality, he wanted to know what allowed Djokovic to be in this position today. 

“There’s not one word or secret that would describe it all. It’s just a way of life. Way to approach my tennis career. I was fortunate very early on in my life to be surrounded by knowledgeable and passionate people who were kind enough to share their guidance with me for years and they taught me very early on that prevention equals longevity. Stretching. Warm-up. Everything I do early on in my life will come back to me later in my career," the 24-time Major winner shared with Blake.

Also, Djokovic noted that being strong in the mental area and knowing how to deal with emotions and everything else that comes with competing at the highest level were one of the big reasons behind him having success even in his late thirties.