Novak Djokovic's Wimbledon chances face major blow after Taylor Fritz's Stuttgart title win

Novak Djokovic's chances of being placed in the top-four seeding of Wimbledon 2025 have been shattered by Taylor Fritz. This confirmation has put the Serb in jeopardy of potentially facing Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals.

Fritz, who has been struggling with form this season, dropped out of the Top 4 of the ATP rankings after a first-round exit at the French Open. With a very strong performance needed in the warm-up events of the grass swing to regain his position in the top four of the rankings, the American No. 1 shunned his naysayers, clinching the Stuttgart Open by defeating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(0).

This means that the American, who is currently seventh, will jump three places to return to the top four, overtaking Jack Draper, Novak Djokovic, and Lorenzo Musetti, respectively. While the top three seeds are confirmed to be Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alexander Zverev, respectively, Fritz and Draper will compete for the final spot.

The seven-time champion isn't slated to play any warm-up events leading up to Wimbledon. On the other hand, both Fritz and Draper will compete at the Queen's Club Championships next. The American will then compete at the Eastbourne International, where he is the defending champion.

Not being one of the four seeds means that Djokovic could end up playing Sinner or Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. Even if he avoids them, he would have to either Zverev or the fourth seed between Fritz or Draper, which could also be a difficult match-up.

However, it is also worth noting that the 24-time Major champion wasn't a top-four seed in the first two Grand Slams of the year, but with incredible perseverance, he shocked the world on both occasions with masterclass performances. In Melbourne, he turned around a one-set deficit to oust Alcaraz, and at the French Open, he similarly defeated Zverev.

His run at the Australian Open ended after he retired mid-match against Zverev in the semifinals, while Jannik Sinner scored an impressive straight-set win against him at Roland Garros.

"I wanna play Wimbledon and US Open for sure. The rest, I’m not so sure" - Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic bidding the 2025 French Open adieu - Source: Getty

Following his French Open defeat, Novak Djokovic admitted during the press conference that it was possibly his last time at the Paris Major. He expressed his desire to continue playing tennis, but wasn't sure if he would be able to 12 months from now.

The Serb explicitly stated that he is prioritizing Wimbledon and the US Open among the upcoming events, where he will go hunting for his unprecedented Grand Slam number 25.

“At the moment I will try to stick with the plan I had. Which is play the grand slams. Those tournaments are the priorities of my calendar. Wimbledon and US Open, yes they’re in my plans. That’s all I can say right now. I wanna play Wimbledon and US Open for sure. The rest, I’m not so sure.”

Former American professional John Isner recently stated that if Djokovic wants to win his 25th Grand Slam, he has to get the job done by 2025.