No writing off Djokovic yet even as young guns gain ground

BENGALURU : For any other player but Novak Djokovic, a below-par Australian Open at the age of 36 would have had pundits brushing up his tennis obituary. Djokovic, of course, is no ordinary player.

Yes, the Serbian fell short of winning a 25th major at Melbourne Park last month but those same pundits have learned the hard way over the last 15 years that you write off Djokovic at your peril.

Single-handedly flying the flag for the "Big Three" last year following Roger Federer's retirement and in Rafa Nadal's prolonged absence, Djokovic played through injury to win the Australian, French and U.S Open titles.

A loss to Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon and a third defeat in his last four meetings with Jannik Sinner in Melbourne last month were cracks in his aura of invincibility but Djokovic was quick to shut down talk of terminal decline.

"I still have high hopes for the Grand Slams, the Olympics and whatever tournaments I'll play," Djokovic said after his first loss at Melbourne Park for six years.

"It's not the feeling I'm used to. It has been incredibly satisfying to start most of my seasons with a Grand Slam win and I've never lost in semis or final of the Australian Open.

"So this time it's a bit different, but it is what it is. This tournament hasn't been up to my standard or criteria or the level I'd normally play or expect myself to play, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's the beginning of the end."

Djokovic is scheduled to return in the Masters tournament at Indian Wells next month where he will again be in the crosshairs of early twentysomethings like Alcaraz, Sinner and Holger Rune.

Although talk of a power shift may be premature, former player and sports psychology consultant Jeff Greenwald said fans were witnessing the