Novak Djokovic: Stefan Edberg and Billie Jean King on Serb’s 2025

Jannik Sinner is 23, and Alcaraz 21. That is a lot of years to concede when your opponents are as good as they are.

But Grand Slam titles have regularly been won by great players in their mid-thirties over the past decade, and Edberg has played his part.

The Swede was part of Roger Federer’s coaching team in 2014 and 2015, and is sure Djokovic’s fire still burns brightly.

“These guys have a lot of people around them and they just love being out there. Especially with Novak chasing a lot of records, I think that’s motivation enough,” he said.

“He’s still extremely fit, so that’s going to give him at least a chance, even if it’s going to be really difficult this time round.”

What is clear when speaking to Edberg is how the top players now feel no psychological barrier to winning in their thirties. While the length of the season remains brutal, he says smarter scheduling helps.

“If I look back on my own career, I think what in many ways burnt me out was playing Davis Cup,” he explained.

“We went to six Davis Cup finals in a row – it meant playing until December and then starting the season again.

“That really shortened my career when I look back at it. Physically, I could have played for another five years.

“At the time I was playing, the chance of winning Slams at 30 or 31 was very, very poor. That has changed now.”

Edberg retired in December 1996 aged 30, after yet another appearance in a Davis Cup final.

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