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Tennis icon Venus Williams has received a wildcard to compete at the 2026 Australian Open, with the full list of wildcard recipients for the women’s singles event now confirmed.

There had been much anticipation to learn if Williams would be given a wildcard for this year’s Australian Open, with the American last having played the Melbourne Grand Slam in 2021.

The former world No 1 and seven-time major singles champion, who is 45, is currently ranked 581st in the WTA singles rankings.

Last year, Williams returned to the tour after an absence of more than a year to play in Washington, Cincinnati and at the US Open.

The Australian Open confirmed today that Williams had received the eighth and final wildcard for the women’s singles main draw.

“I’m excited to be back in Australia and looking forward to competing during the Australian summer,” said Williams.

“I’ve had so many incredible memories there, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to return to a place that has meant so much to my career.”

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Williams was a runner-up at the Australian Open in 2003 and 2017, while she was also a semi-finalist in 2001 and a quarter-finalist on a further six occasions.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said: “Venus is a true legend and trailblazer of our sport – she’s an inspiration to us all.

“I’m delighted we’ll see her on court again at both the Hobart International and Australian Open.”

At the age of 45, Williams is set to become the oldest woman to play in the Australian Open singles draw. She will break the record held by former Japanese star Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she competed at the 2015 Australian Open.

Australian Open 2026 women’s singles wildcards

• Emerson Jones (Australia)
• Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan)
• Elizabeth Mandlik (USA)
• Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah (France)
• Priscilla Hon (Australia)
• Talia Gibson (Australia)
• Taylah Preston (Australia)
• Venus Williams (USA)

Williams has also been given wildcards to compete at the tournaments in Auckland and Hobart ahead of the Australian Open.

Venus Williams’ schedule at the start of 2026

• ASB Classic, Auckland (WTA 250) – January 5-11
• Hobart International (WTA 250) – January 12-17
• Australian Open – January 18-February 1

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READ NEXT: Predicting every Grand Slam singles champion of 2026: Sinner & Alcaraz dominant, Sabalenka & Swiatek success

The post Venus Williams set to break record as full Australian Open women’s wildcard list confirmed appeared first on Tennis365.

Former ATP Tour stars Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Mischa Zverev have weighed in on Novak Djokovic’s prospects ahead of the 2026 season.

Djokovic begins the campaign ranked fourth in the world behind Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev.

In 2025, Djokovic reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slams, won titles in Geneva and Athens and was a runner-up at the Miami Masters.

The 38-year-old will get his year underway at the Adelaide International, an ATP 250 tournament which will be held from January 12 to 17. He won the Adelaide International in his only previous appearance in 2023.

The Serbian will then aim to win a record-extending 11th Australian Open title and 25th Grand Slam in total. Djokovic secured his most recent major at the 2023 US Open.

What did Jo-Wilfried Tsonga say about Novak Djokovic?

In an interview with Swiss outlet Blick, Tsonga addressed whether Djokovic can compete with Alcaraz and Sinner in 2026.

“When you hear him talk about Carlos and Jannik today, putting them on another level, you sometimes get the impression that he’s already given up,” said the Frenchman.

“But I think he’s still ready. He continues to play very good tennis. And if there’s even an inch of opening, he’ll strike.

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“You can feel that with each step onto the court, he pushes the limits even further. It will be fascinating to follow him this year.”

Tsonga, a former world No 5, holds a 6-17 record from the 23 matched he played against Djokovic.

What did Mischa Zverev say about Novak Djokovic?

Speaking to the same publication, Mischa Zverev — the older brother of Alexander Zverev — also shared his thoughts on Djokovic.

“With Novak, you can still feel that something is missing,” said the German, who peaked at 25th in the ATP Rankings.

“Perhaps the pace, which is currently a bit higher with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

“In the final stages of Grand Slams or Masters tournaments, you should never rule out Novak. But his body clearly plays a role. He simply has a few more kilometres under his belt.

“Alcaraz and Sinner are ahead, then comes Sascha (Alexander Zverev). And after that, we don’t really know who follows.”

Mischa Zverev holds a 0-2 record against Djokovic.

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The post Novak Djokovic’s ex-rival makes ‘given up’ claim about the Serb challenging Alcaraz & Sinner appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner will be eyeing up a golden 2026, with the uncertainty surrounding his big rival Carlos Alcaraz fuelling a belief that he can achieve something very special in 2026.

Sinner is preparing for the defence of his Australian Open title, with the Italian looking invincible as he swept up the title in the opening Grand Slam of the season for the last two years.

He heads to Australia as the red-hot favourite to win the title once again and his hopes have only been strengthened by split in Alcaraz’s camp that saw the sudden exit of his long-time coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero.

If Sinner lives up to his billing and wins a third straight Australian Open title at a moment when Alcaraz suffers a dip following his coaching upheaval, talk will inevitably turn to a year of domination for the Italian.

He came perilously close to winning a calendar Grand Slam of all four majors last season, with the match points he missed in the French Open final quickly followed by his maiden Wimbledon title success a few weeks later.

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If he had converted one of those match points against Alcaraz in Paris, Sinner would have headed into the US Open with a calendar Grand Slam on his mind and he reached the final in New York, losing against Alcaraz.

It wouldn’t take much for Sinner to win a few extra points in Paris and an additional match at the US Open to make a very good 2025 into something historic in 2026, with no male player completing the calendar Grand Slam since Rod Laver in 1969.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic all won three of the four majors in the same year and former British No 1 Greg Rusedski does not believe this will be the season that sees complete domination from one player in the men’s game.

“Do I think he’s going to win the calendar Slam?” pondered Rusedski in the latest episode of his Off Court with Greg podcast.

“We saw Novak try to do that a few years back and he was one match away against Daniil Medvedev at the US Open and lost it at the final hurdle after winning three majors.

“If anyone can do it, it’s Jannik. He has great memories of Australia at the start of the year, but can he bounce back and win the French Open? That’s the big question.

“Also with Carlos Alcaraz, where is he going to be. There’s lots of question marks going into the season, but Sinner keeps improving.

“I’ve been watching videos of him preparing in Dubai and he is getting stuck in. He’s working in approaching the net and improving. He is a complete player and this thing upstairs, the brain, it’s unbelievable how strong he is.”

Sinner and Alcaraz have shared the last eight Grand Slam titles between them, highlighting the dominance they have over their rivals in the men’s game.

So if there is any slight dip from Alcaraz in 2026, Sinner may have a chance to put himself among the game’s all-time greats by achieving a feat only the true giants of tennis could dream of.

READ NEXT: Australian Open prize money problem needs to be fixed for tournament to maintain status

The post Former British No 1 pours cold water on Jannik Sinner’s biggest dream for 2026 appeared first on Tennis365.

When Carlos Alcaraz confirmed he would be splitting from coach Juan Carlos Ferrero last month, the tennis world was left reeling by a story none of us saw coming.

Such was the bond we believed existed between Alcaraz and Ferrero that a parting of the ways appeared to be hard to comprehend, with many suspecting the duo would patch up their difference and find a way to reunite.

What has happened over the days since the news was announced confirms the glossy image of the coach who turned Alcaraz from a junior with big prospects into an all-time great of the game at the age of 22 was not all it seemed.

It appears that cracks were beginning to show in the relationship between Alcaraz and Ferrero long ago, with the father of the world No 1 being portrayed as a key figure in the decision to make the split from the former French Open champion.

Ferrero’s move to conduct a host of interviews that outlined his version of events drove a wedge between the two camps that will be hard to revive, as he hit back at claims that financial demands were at the root of the split after he was offered a new contract on a reduced salary.

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“Everything seemed like it was set to continue,” said Ferrero. “It’s true that when the year ends, there are certain things at the contract level that have to be looked at. And as in any new contract, looking ahead to next year, there were certain things on which we did not agree…

“It may be that they could have been saved if we had sat down to talk, but in the end we didn’t sit down and we decided not to continue.

“It’s true that when a year ends, certain things need to be reviewed regarding contracts. And as with any new contract, looking ahead to the following year, there were certain things we disagreed on.

“As with all contracts, one side pulls in one direction and the other in another. Carlos’s camp thinks about what’s best for him, and mine thinks about what’s best for me. There were certain issues on which both parties disagreed.

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“Perhaps they could have been resolved if we had sat down to talk, but in the end, we didn’t, and we decided not to continue. That’s really what happened.

“There are points I won’t go into detail about, but we disagreed on them, and ultimately, we went our separate ways.”

If Alcaraz struggles without his mentor Ferrero at the Australian Open later this month, the idea that he could get his old coach back into his camp would have been an appealing option if their split was a little more amicable. 

After all that has been said since the very public sporting divorce, that option appears to have been closed and the tennis world now waits to get Alcaraz’s version of events.

We also won’t have long to wait to see how this great young player reacts when he tries to compete for a Grand Slam title without the coach who has been by his side on every step of his journey so far.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz could lose world No 1 ranking to Jannik Sinner in double quick time

The post Why Carlos Alcaraz’s split with Juan Carlos Ferrero can never be repaired appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu has made a major sponsorship change with the new tennis season just around the corner as she has been spotted practising with a new racket.

The world No 29 has used Wilson Blade rackets since she was a teenager with the famous brand quite visible during her historic Grand Slam title run at the 2021 US Open, but the partnership has come to an end.

Raducanu has been training with Yonex rackets in the build-up to her first official tournament of 2026, the United Cup, with the endorsement deal with the Japanese sports equipment manufacturer likely coming into effect on January 1.

Footage from Perth, Australia, shows the British No 1 hitting with the Yonex E-Zone model with coach Francisco Roig keeping a watchful eye.

The Yonex E-Zone racket is expected to add more power to her shots, but it will likely lead to less control over shots and could take her some time to adapt, especially during her first official match against Japan’s Naomi Osaka on January 4.

Besides the United Cup, the 23-year-old has also signed up for the Hobart International so she will have plenty of practice with the new racket ahead of the Australian Open.

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Raducanu will join a long list of top players – both on the WTA Tour and ATP Tour – who use Yonex rackets, starting with world No 5 and 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka.

Former world No 1 Osaka won her four Grand Slams using the Yonex Ezone 98 racket and world No 7 Madison Keys also used Yonex when she won her maiden major at the 2025 Australian Open.

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Rybakina, Osaka and Keys are all known for their power hitting and it could be a sign of what is to come for Raducanu.

On the men’s side, Ben Shelton, Casper Ruud, Nick Kyrgios and Frances Tiafoe are some of the big stars using the Japanese manufacturer’s equipment, while in terms of legendary players, the great Martina Navratilova and Martina Hingis are ambassadors.

A change in rackets might not be the only move that Raducanu makes in 2026 as it has been strongly rumoured that she will swap Nike for Uniqlo.

Although she was spotted using Nike apparel during training in recent days, it could be a case that her contract ran until December 31 and we could well see her don the Uniqlo brand from January 1.

Roger Federer, of course, is the most famous Uniqlo ambassador as he made the $300 million move from Nike to the Japanese company in 2018.

Reigning Wimbledon champion and six-time major champion Iga Swiatek and world No 9 Ben Shelton are also ambassadors.

The post Emma Raducanu makes big equipment change as she joins list of power-hitters to use this racket appeared first on Tennis365.

The 2025 tennis season delivered plenty of drama, incredible storylines, and high-quality matches — particularly at the four Grand Slam tournaments.

Madison Keys stunned the tennis world with her epic run to the Australian Open title, before Coco Gauff captured her second major at the French Open, Iga Swiatek won a staggering sixth Slam at Wimbledon, and Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her US Open crown to win her fourth Grand Slam singles title.

It was a different story in the men’s game, with Jannik Sinner triumphing at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and Carlos Alcaraz reigning at Roland Garros and the US Open — the dominant duo winning all four Slams between them for the second straight season.

With 2026 officially here and the new tennis season about to get underway, we predict who will win all four men’s singles and women’s singles Grand Slam titles in 2026.

Australian Open (Jan 18 – Feb 1)

Women’s singles: The margins are fine in the women’s game right now, and the likes of Swiatek, Gauff, Mirra Andreeva, Elena Rybakina, and Amanda Anisimova will all be in contention.

However, having reached three straight finals at the tournament, Sabalenka looks like a strong bet to regain the title she previously won in 2023 and 2024, earning revenge for her 2025 loss to Keys.

Men’s singles: Will the men’s singles draw merely be a case of seeing how Alcaraz and Sinner fare before meeting in the championship match? It would surprise no one if this is how the event panned out.

Alcaraz has Career Grand Slam pressure on his shoulders — and has to deal with his split from Juan Carlos Ferrero, alongside overcoming traditionally slow starts to the year. Having won the tournament in 2024 and 2025, Sinner looks primed for a ‘threepeat’ Down Under.

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French Open (May 24 – Jun 7)

Women’s singles: The French Open provides fascinating scenarios in the women’s draw in 2026, with Gauff aiming to defend her title, Sabalenka looking to make amends for her final defeat, and Swiatek looking to regain the crown she has won four times previously.

Sabalenka and Gauff will be in contention once again, and definitely do not discount Anisimova — a semi-finalist at this tournament as a teenager in 2019 — but, after a strong second half of 2025, Swiatek looks ready to reign as the ‘Queen of Clay’ once again.

Men’s singles: The chances of a final as good as the one Alcaraz and Sinner produced at Roland Garros this year look unlikely, but it would surprise no one if there was a repeat winner.

With back-to-back French Open titles to his name, alongside 11 titles on the dirt in total, Alcaraz is conclusively the best clay-court player of the post-Nadal era, and is set to make it three in a row this June.

Wimbledon (Jun 29 – Jul 12)

Women’s singles: There have been no repeat winners of the women’s singles title at SW19 since Serena Williams in 2016, a streak that Swiatek will look to snap in 2026.

The Pole’s added aggression to her game should continue to sort the grass courts of the All England Club, but twelve months on from her heartbreaking final defeat to Swiatek, Anisimova will complete an epic turnaround to capture her first Grand Slam title.

Men’s singles: Sinner bounced back from French Open heartbreak to end Alcaraz’s two-year reign inside Centre Court last summer, and both men have games well-suited for grass.

Though Novak Djokovic and Ben Shelton could be among the threats on this surface, Sinner and Alcaraz will likely remain far ahead of the field. In their second straight final at the tournament, Alcaraz will regain his title — and complete the ‘Channel Slam’ once again.

US Open (Aug 30 – Sep 13)

Women’s singles: Having lost the final in 2023 before back-to-back 2024 and 2025 triumphs, world No 1 Sabalenka will enter this as the favourite, though former champions Gauff and Swiatek will be hot on her heels.

The likes of Rybakina, Anisimova, Andreeva, and Jessica Pegula could well threaten, but — after solid improvement across 2026 — Gauff will win her third career Grand Slam singles title, and regain the home Slam she first won in 2023.

Men’s singles: Alcaraz and Sinner have split the US Open title the last two years, and while some players may be closer to them by September, it seems likely they will complete another major sweep this season.

Alcaraz produced career-best tennis to win the 2025 US Open, but Sinner gained revenge with victory at the ATP Finals later in the season, and his hard-court prowess will again see him match his Spanish rival on two majors apiece for the 2026 season.

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The post Predicting every Grand Slam singles champion of 2026: Sinner & Alcaraz dominant, Sabalenka & Swiatek success appeared first on Tennis365.

Former world No 1 Andy Roddick has heaped praise on Coco Gauff and her “superpower” of being able to win when not at her best, ahead of her 2026 campaign.

Gauff’s game was scrutinised heavily throughout the stages of the 2025 season, with flaws on her serve and forehand once again coming in for particular analysis and scrutiny.

Issues across the summer saw the American split with her coach of eleven months, Matt Daly, ahead of the US Open, with the 21-year-old bringing in Gavin MacMillan to work alongside J.C. Faurel for the rest of 2025, and into 2026.

However, despite some apparent issues in her game, 2025 was another landmark year for Gauff, and the American captured her second Grand Slam singles title at the French Open — beating world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Gauff also lifted her third WTA 1000 career singles title at the Wuhan Open in October, and attained further runner-up finishes at the Madrid Open and Italian Open, finishing 2025 ranked third in the world.

It was the third straight season in which Gauff finished the year as the world No 3 and, speaking on his Served podcast, Roddick was keen to highlight his compatriot’s key strengths.

“With Coco at number three, and I think this is what we are going to start doing when we cover her moving forward as it’s only fair, we are not going to start from a negative place,” said Roddick.

“We are going to talk about how she is able to settle in. How she is able to apply her game. How she is able to create errors and stress for her opponent, to rely on her legs.

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“She has one of the biggest and hardest backhands in the world that people do not talk about enough. She is able to work the forehand to drive traffic. She sets up her defense with patterns. It is not an accident.”

Double faults were undoubtedly an issue for Gauff at times across the year, with the 23 double faults she hit against Danielle Collins at the Canadian Open among the highest ever recorded in a WTA match.

However, Gauff was still able to seal victory in that match and won a string of matches across the year where she appeared to be far from her best.

Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, described this ability as Gauff’s “superpower” and said she was the very best at winning when still “uncomfortable” with her game.

He added: “To go through things that are physically and mentally not working and to get through it and win consistently is a superpower.

“There is no world where anyone else on earth can be dealing with 20 or 25 double faults and we are looking up and at scale, not for a tournament, every year she is two in the world, three in the world. She does not leave those positions.

“It does not matter how much we see her struggle. We have to give credit where credit is due for Coco at some point.

“If the losses are ugly, I don’t care. She is the best in the world at being uncomfortable on a given day and getting a win.”

Gauff’s 2026 season will begin at the United Cup, where she will look to help the United States successfully defend its title in the mixed team event.

That will then be followed by the opening Grand Slam of the year at the Australian Open, where Gauff was a quarter-finalist in 2025, and a semi-finalist in 2024.

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The post Coco Gauff’s key ‘superpower’ hailed by former world No 1 ahead of 2026 appeared first on Tennis365.

The 2025 tennis season was one for the ages, with a string of huge breakthroughs, incredible matches, and an array of triumphs for the ages.

While there were plenty of moments to look back on, some stood out more than others, helping to make 2025 a season where tennis was well and truly alive.

Here, looking across both the ATP and WTA Tours, we pick our five standout moments from 2025.

Keys’ Australian Open odyssey

So long the ‘nearly woman’ of the WTA Tour, Keys re-wrote the narrative of her career with an epic run to the Australian Open title in January.

Her potential and big-match winning ability were never in doubt, though a string of tough losses and near-misses suggested Keys‘ hopes of major success were done and dusted.

However, after surviving a second-round scare against Elena-Gabriela Ruse, Keys would beat Danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina, Iga Swiatek, and two-time reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka in consecutive matches to triumph.

It was one of the standout Grand Slam triumphs of modern times, and the 30-year-old would later reach a high of world No 5 in the WTA Rankings.

THAT Alcaraz vs Sinner Roland Garros final

Alcaraz versus Sinner was far and away the defining tennis rivalry of 2025, and their historic Roland Garros final was undoubtedly the match of the year — and one of the best of all time.

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Expectations were high for a first Grand Slam final between the two stars, and the pair ultimately delivered a modern-day classic, producing the longest French Open final of the Open Era.

At two sets to love up, Sinner seemed to have his first French Open title in the bag — and then memorably held three championship points at 5-3 up in the fourth set.

That did not deter Alcaraz, though, who produced a comeback for the ages in a staggering 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) triumph.

Iga’s Bakery serves up staggering SW19 triumph

After a 13-month title drought — and the end of her French Open dominance — few would have predicted Swiatek to go all the way to the title at Wimbledon.

However, the event proved to be one of the most dominant runs of her career, dropping just one set on her way to the title — with her victory in the final stunning the tennis world.

A rampant Swiatek produced a scintillating performance, and with opponent Amanda Anisimova struggling in her first major final, needed just 57 minutes to seal a staggering 6-0, 6-0 victory.

It was just the third time in history that someone had won a major final with a double bagel, and the first time it had been done this century — while the triumph also saw the Pole move to 6-0 in major finals.

Mboko’s ‘A Star Is Born’ run in Montreal

Mboko was one of the most-improved stars of 2025, and the world No 18’s surge up the WTA Rankings was powered by her stunning run to the Canadian Open title.

Having already climbed from outside the top 300 to world No 85 in the WTA Rankings, Mboko received a wildcard into her home WTA 1000 events.

After beating Grand Slam champions Sofia Kenin and Coco Gauff during her run, the 18-year-old stunned Elena Rybakina in the last four, saving match points to reach the final.

Mboko looked overawed early in the final against four-time major winner Osaka, though she rallied to triumph in three sets, and cemented her place as perhaps the WTA’s hottest prospect.

Vacherot’s history-making Shanghai surprise

While Mboko was perhaps the most surprising 1000-level champion on the WTA, there was no bigger shock than Vacherot’s extraordinary run to the Shanghai Masters title.

The Monegasque had never been ranked inside the top 100 of the ATP Rankings and was down at 204th in the world heading into the event, barely making the qualifying draw.

But, after progressing through qualifying and beating the likes of Alexander Bublik early on, Vacherot stunned Holger Rune in the last eight, before an even more shocking semi-final victory over Novak Djokovic.

Vacherot then memorably beat his very own cousin, fellow surprise finalist Arthur Rinderknech, to lift the title, and is now established as a top-40 star.

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The post The 5 standout tennis moments of 2025: ft. Alcaraz & Sinner’s French Open epic, Swiatek’s SW19 history appeared first on Tennis365.

The 2026 ATP Tour season gets underway with United Cup action on Friday, and all eyes will be on how the men’s game develops over the coming twelve months.

However, every player will be adapting to a not-insignificant rule change concerning the ATP Rankings, which has already taken effect in the closing stages of 2025.

Here, we look at the change that the ATP Tour has introduced for the coming season, and how it has affected an array of players.

What is the rule change?

Up until the end of the 2025 tennis season, 19 tournaments could officially count towards a player’s official ATP ranking.

These included the four Grand Slam tournaments, all eight mandatory Masters 1000 events, and then the next seven best results a player achieved across the tennis season.

These events include the Monte Carlo Masters — the one non-mandatory Masters 1000 event — and any events from ATP 500, ATP 250, and ATP Challenger levels; the ATP Finals counts as a bonus event for a player’s ranking, should they qualify.

However, heading into the new season, the ATP has introduced a significant change.

From this season onwards, only 18 events will be counted towards a player’s ranking, with only six results being included with the four Grand Slams and eight mandatory Masters events — alongside the ATP Finals, if relevant.

Top 30 players now also only need to commit to four ATP 500 events across the season, down from five in 2025.

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How has it affected the top 10 ahead of 2026?

The rule change has come into effect this week (Monday, December 29), and seven players inside the top 10 have dropped points, though no players have moved positions.

World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz and world No 2 Jannik Sinner have been unaffected, as has world No 10 Jack Draper.

However, every other player has dropped a small number of points, with one best countable result removed from their ATP Ranking.

World No 3 Alexander Zverev has dropped 50 points, No 4 Novak Djokovic has dropped 10 points, No 5 Felix Auger-Aliassime has dropped 55 points, No 6 Taylor Fritz has dropped 50 points, No 7 Alex de Minaur has dropped 55 points, No Lorenzo Musetti has dropped 50 points, while No 9 Ben Shelton has dropped 10 points.

How has it affected the rest of the ATP Rankings?

The top of the sport has been largely unaffected in terms of player positions at the start of the season, but the further you go down the ATP Rankings, the greater impact you see.

In the top 20, only Jiri Lehecka is affected, with the Czech’s drop of 10 points seeing him fall one place to world No 18 — while Karen Khachanov moves up one position to 17th.

Luciano Darderi and Tallon Griekspoor swap places, with the pair now ranked 25th and 26th, respectively — the only other change inside the top 30.

However, outside of the top 30, there have been some notable moves.

Jaume Munar moves up three places to world No 33 in the ATP Rankings, and Corentin Moutet moves up one place to 34th, with Brandon Nakashima and Stefanos Tsitsipas falling two spots.

Now ranked 35th and 36th in the world, respectively, Nakashima and Tsitsipas — a two-time Grand Slam finalist — face an uphill task to try and secure a seeding for the Australian Open.

The biggest ‘loser’ from a rankings perspective following the rule change is Pablo Carreno Busta, who fell four spots from 89th to 93rd in the world.

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Former world No 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov has revealed his “doubt” that Novak Djokovic can win a record-extending 25th Grand Slam singles title in the future.

No man in tennis history can match Djokovic’s staggering haul of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, with the Serbian ultimately set to finish ahead of legendary rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the all-time Grand Slam standings.

However, while Djokovic’s grip atop the all-time standings is likely to remain for quite some time, it has now been over two years since the Serbian’s most recent Grand Slam victory at the 2023 US Open.

He has reached just one major final since then — at Wimbledon in 2024 — with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner having split the last eight Grand Slam titles between them, and dominating on the ATP Tour as a whole.

While Alcaraz turns 23 and Sinner turns 25 in 2026, Djokovic will turn 39, and has faced an array of physical issues in recent years.

The Serbian is still competing at a high level and finished 2025 ranked fourth in the world despite playing just 13 tournaments, though he was beaten in the semi-final of all four Grand Slam tournaments.

Djokovic was forced to retire injured versus Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open, before straight-set defeats to Sinner at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and to Alcaraz at the US Open.

Beating the ‘New 2’ is proving one of the biggest obstacles to Djokovic’s hopes of a 25th major title, and former world No 1 Kafelnikov doubts he will overcome it.

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Speaking to CLAY, the two-time Grand Slam singles champion claimed that Djokovic was “simply too old” to compete for major titles at this stage.

Kafelnikov said: “Honestly, I doubt that he can do it.

“He is the greatest player of all time, no question about it, but competing with these young guys… Novak is not even 35 anymore, he’s 39 now ]in May]. Believe me, the body and metabolism don’t allow you to recover quickly enough or move like a younger player. Nobody can beat nature.

“A 39-year-old is simply too old to compete with a 22-year-old in peak physical condition. He can still compete in best-of-three events, but best-of-five… that’s practically impossible.”

Having not won a Grand Slam title in two seasons, many have questioned how long Djokovic will remain competing in the sport.

There is no doubt that the Serbian is still competing at a very high level, with the 38-year-old arguably still the best male player in the world behind both Alcaraz and Sinner.

Djokovic recently reiterated that he would remain on tour while still competing at a “high level”, and was using the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games as one of his main targets.

But Kafelnikov, who was also an Olympic gold medallist and four-time Grand Slam doubles champion during his career, claimed it was hard to understand the reasons why Djokovic was still playing.

“I honestly have no clue,” added Kafelnikov.

“I’ve said it before -– maybe he feels too loyal to his fan base around the world, to the people who want him to keep going. And that’s fine. Hats off to Novak for that.

“It just shows his courage and dedication. But I really can’t come up with any other reason why he’s still playing.”

Djokovic’s 2026 season will start at the ATP 500 Adelaide International, where he will be the top seed.

That will then be followed by the Australian Open, where he has won 10 of his 24 Grand Slam singles titles.

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The post Novak Djokovic told it’s ‘practically impossible’ for him to win 25th Grand Slam by former world No 1 appeared first on Tennis365.