Novak Djokovic has laid down a gauntlet ahead of the Australian Open, declaring that he can ‘beat anybody’ in the draw when at his best, including Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
The Serb has had a complicated last 24 months, reaching one Grand Slam final and five such semi-finals, but looking increasingly physically weakened towards the back end of tournaments.
2025 saw Djokovic defy age by winning titles in both Geneva and Athens, increasing his overall singles title haul to 101.
His last three Grand Slam semi-final defeats came to one of Sinner (French Open and Wimbledon) and Alcaraz (US Open), unable to clinch a set in any clash.
Since the former world No 1’s victory at the US Open in 2023, the pair have produced a dominance not too dissimilar from that during Big Three era – sharing all of the last eight Grand Slams.
Despite the hurdles, Djokovic still believes that he can give himself opportunities to compete with the world’s best, including over the next two weeks in Melbourne.
“I’m missing a little bit of juice in my legs, to be honest, to be able to compete with these guys at the later stages of a Grand Slam,” he admitted during his pre-tournament press conference.
“I lost three out of four slams against either Sinner or Alcaraz. We know how good they are, and they absolutely deserve to be where they are.
“They are the dominant forces of the men’s tennis at the moment. I’m still trying to be in the mix.
“Obviously I’m grateful to have the better ranking so that I could have eventually better draws in, you know, the first several rounds. That doesn’t affect the way I approach [a] Slam.
“You know, I know that my priority is really taking care of my body and trying to of course treat every match like it’s finals, but at the same time, build momentum and also not spend unnecessary energy, you know, and hopefully I can go far again and get a chance to play them.”
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Of course, a hypothetical victory at the Australian Open wouldn’t just break Djokovic’s drought, it would also give him the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles by any player – male or female.
The Serb is currently tied with Margaret Court on 24 titles.
Djokovic would also break the record for the oldest players to win a singles Grand Slam, with Ken Rosewall currently holding that record at 37 years and two months.
However, he has also noted that he does not want to induce any unnecessary pressure at the four biggest tournaments of the season.
“Yeah, there has been a lot of talk about the 25th, but, you know, I try to focus myself on what I have achieved, not what I’m possibly achieving,” Djokovic commented.
“I mean, I hope it comes to that, but 24 is also not a bad number. I have to appreciate that and remind myself of the amazing career I had.
“And also, you know, release some of that unnecessary pressure.
“I mean, obviously there is always pressure and expectations, but, you know, I don’t think it’s, you know, needed for me to really go far in terms of, you know, make-it-or-break-it type of thing, you know, it’s now-or-never type of mentality. I don’t feel it’s necessary.
“Neither does that allow me to excel and perform my best.
“I’m just, as I said, grateful to have another shot, particularly here, a place where I won 10 Grand Slam titles and been consistently playing well and reaching the final stages. Last couple of years also semi-finals, ’24 semi-finals, ’25. Had a great win against Carlos [Alcaraz] in quarters last year.
“Look, I know that when I’m healthy, when I’m able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together on a given day, I feel like I can beat anybody. If I don’t have that self-belief and confidence in myself, I wouldn’t be here definitely sitting here and talking to you guys or competing.
“I still have the drive, and of course I understand that, you know, [Jannik] Sinner and Alcaraz are playing on a different level right now from everybody else. That’s a fact, but that doesn’t mean that nobody else has a chance. So I like my chances always, in any tournament, particularly here.”
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has landed in Sinner’s half of the draw, meaning he cannot meet the Italian before the semi-finals, and the Spaniard before a hypothetical final.
He will get his campaign underway against Spaniard Pedro Martinez.
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