Andy Roddick has declared that Novak Djokovic is playing at a level not seen 'for a while' and believes the 39-year-old has a 'real chance' of winning Wimbledon this year as he 'looks sharper' than world number one Jannik Sinner. Djokovic is chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title and his eighth Wimbledon crown, which would tie him with Roger Federer.
Djokovic's Path to the Record
Djokovic has not added to his Grand Slam tally since 2023, struggling to compete with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who have dominated the majors in recent years. Sinner has won four Grand Slams since the start of 2024, while Alcaraz has seven since his first in September 2022. However, Alcaraz withdrew from Wimbledon due to a wrist injury that also kept him out of the French Open, leaving Djokovic with only Sinner as a major rival at the All England Club.
In his first-round match, Djokovic dropped a set against China's Wu Yibing but produced a 'vintage' performance to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in the second round. Roddick, a three-time Wimbledon finalist, was commentating on Centre Court and said he was 'blown away' by Djokovic's level.
Roddick's Assessment
'I was in the commentary bunker on court for Novak Djokovic's game and seeing him up close was really interesting,' Roddick said on the Served podcast. 'He served unbelievable and the ball-striking was unbelievable. He is in this tournament with a real chance. Today was important on a number of levels. One, you win a match in the drive for 25, but you do it quickly as well. There was no part of his game that didn't look locked in today.'
Roddick noted that while Tsitsipas is a favourable matchup for Djokovic—who has now won 12 consecutive matches against the Greek—the performance was still exceptional. 'But it was a vintage performance. He was cooking second serve returns, he was moving the ball around the court and injecting as much pace on the ball as I've seen in a while. I was blown away with the quality of his ball-striking today. Novak was phenomenal from start to finish – he is in this thing.'
Movement and Surface Advantage
Roddick also highlighted Djokovic's movement on grass, saying, 'His movement at this age, when he's not the fastest he's ever been, translates better on grass than any other surface. I'm just telling you now, that was a message sent because he is cleaning the ball and he did himself a massive favour with the time on court.'
Comparison with Sinner
Turning to Sinner, Roddick observed that the Italian's forehand is 'struggling a bit' and that he is 'searching for something'. Sinner followed up a nervy five-set win over Miomir Kecmanovic with a straight-set victory over Nuno Borges, but Roddick was not entirely convinced. 'I also called Jannik Sinner and that forehand is struggling a bit, he's searching for something a little bit. His serve bailed him out a little bit and Borges got tight at points. But Jannik is still searching for something – Novak looked way sharper than Sinner today.'
Roddick added, 'We're nit-picking with Sinner because it's only round two and if he goes and plays great in the semis then this conversation is going to be like a fart in the wind. It's surprising he's missed as much as he has in the first two rounds but it would surprise no one if he turned it around in one match. It's something to keep an eye on going forward.'
Upcoming Matches
Djokovic will face big-serving Arthur Rinderknech in the third round, while Sinner takes on America's Jenson Brooksby. Both players are expected to advance, but Roddick's comments suggest that Djokovic may have the edge in form and momentum as the tournament progresses.
