LONDON — Novak Djokovic understands all too well the burden of living up to immense expectations forged through years of triumphs.
At 39, he stands tall as a 24-time Grand Slam champion, now participating in the sport on a more limited basis.
With this background, he is well-equipped to empathize with Serena Williams, who, like him, boasts seven Wimbledon singles titles and faced a challenging match at the All England Club earlier this week—her first singles contest in nearly four years.
“Fans have grown accustomed to your dominance, so they expect nothing less than your best,” Djokovic remarked. “Serena is now 44 and a mother of two. It’s only natural that after such a long hiatus, her movement isn’t quite what it used to be. We need to ease up on the judgments and criticisms. What truly matters is appreciating her greatness and the legacy she represents in our sport.”
This week, Williams fell to 20-year-old Maya Joint from Australia, losing 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 in a fiercely competitive match that showcased her resilience against a much younger opponent.
Despite her setbacks, Williams struck serves exceeding 120 mph and influenced rallies with her powerful groundstrokes. However, her movement issues allowed the 87th-ranked Joint to seize crucial points, often playing beyond Williams’ reach.
“Her determination to make a comeback is a remarkable gift to our sport,” Djokovic expressed. “It’s perplexing how people often overlook that. Instead of speculating and criticizing, let’s simply enjoy having such an iconic figure back, drawing attention to our game.”
“I’ve always been a supporter of Serena, and I genuinely hope she decides to play more,” Djokovic added.
Williams received wild card entries for both singles and doubles at Wimbledon, and there’s still uncertainty about whether she will team up with her sister, Venus, for doubles.
On Wednesday, Williams revealed she experienced a minor tweak in her right knee near the end of the first set against Joint. She remains hopeful about participating in doubles, but the Williams sisters’ match against Colombia’s Camila Osorio and Argentina’s Solana Sierra remains the only first-round match yet to be scheduled for Friday. They could potentially take the court on Saturday.
Last year at the U.S. Open, Djokovic publicly encouraged Serena to make her return.
“When challenged, she never backs down. So here’s my challenge to Serena: Come back for next season,” Djokovic stated in 2025.
Now, Djokovic is eager to see her grace the courts at this year’s U.S. Open.
“For the sake of tennis, I truly hope we see more of her,” Djokovic said. “I can imagine the U.S. Open is an event she would love to play. It would be fantastic for both her and the fans.”
Djokovic secured a straight-sets victory against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday night, just a day after watching Williams’ match on the same court via television.
Lindsey Vonn had minimal expectations about Serena revealing all her strategic plays.
Another over-40 athlete who has made a comeback, Vonn faced challenges during her return to the World Cup skiing circuit, following nearly a six-year hiatus.
Yet, Vonn excelled as the top downhiller last season, competing at age 41 until a violent crash at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February led to a severe leg injury.
Vonn attended Serena’s doubles comeback at Queen’s last month and shared her thoughts the week before Williams’ singles return, saying, “I expect her to perform well, but she won’t reveal all her tactics just yet.”
