Elena Dementieva is utterly amazed by Novak Djokovic's recent achievement in the world of Grand Slam tennis, which she believes may be an unmatched feat.
The former Olympic gold medalist from the 2008 Beijing Games, Dementieva expressed her views on how Djokovic reaching the finals at 38 years old might actually hold more significance than Carlos Alcaraz's remarkable accomplishment of achieving a Career Grand Slam at just 22.
Recent events at the Australian Open have led to two historic milestones in men's tennis. By defeating Jannik Sinner, Djokovic, who will be celebrating his 39th birthday this coming May, set a new record as the oldest male player in the Open Era to compete in a Grand Slam final. The previous record was held by the legendary Australian player Ken Rosewall, who was 37 years and 11 months old when he last appeared in a Major final.
On the other hand, after Carlos Alcaraz triumphed over Alexander Zverev, he was poised to face Djokovic in the final at Melbourne Park. With this victory, Alcaraz was just one match away from becoming the youngest player in history to win all four Grand Slam titles. Eventually, he did secure this milestone by defeating Djokovic with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5, thereby achieving one of the most prestigious records in tennis at the tender age of 22 years and eight months.
When reflecting on these newly established records in men's tennis, Dementieva acknowledged the uniqueness of Alcaraz's achievement. However, she seemed to express a greater sense of awe regarding Djokovic’s feat, asserting that it is unlikely anyone else will ever reach a Grand Slam final at the age of 38 or older.
Dementieva remarked, "Of course, we cannot overlook Carlos Alcaraz's unique achievement—becoming the youngest player in history to complete a career Grand Slam. But there’s room for debate on how much more extraordinary that is compared to what Djokovic has accomplished. From my perspective, it’s conceivable that someone could eventually replicate Alcaraz's record in the near future. However, reaching a men’s singles final at the age of 38 is something that boggles my mind. It’s astonishing and simply unfathomable—I truly believe we will never see it matched again."
Had Djokovic succeeded in overcoming Alcaraz, he would not only have eclipsed Rosewall's record of being the oldest Grand Slam champion but also become the first player in either the men's or women’s categories to secure 25 Major titles in singles.
As Djokovic approaches his 39th birthday during the upcoming French Open, he will undoubtedly be striving to etch even more remarkable feats into the annals of tennis history this year.
