BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
“I lost three out of four Slams against either Sinner or Alcaraz,” Djokovic said Saturday, speaking on the eve of the tournament in Melbourne. Then he smiled and added, “We don’t need to praise them too much. They have been praised enough. We know how good they are, and they absolutely deserve to be where they are. They are the dominant forces of men’s tennis at the moment.”
Djokovic enters his third consecutive season pursuing a 25th Grand Slam singles title, which would move him past Margaret Court for the most major championships in tennis history. Already the winner of 24 majors — a record for the Open era — he is recalibrating how he approaches the sport’s most demanding events as he seeks to remain competitive against a younger, faster generation.
That adjustment was evident in his decision to withdraw from his only scheduled warmup tournament ahead Novak Djokovic can still find humor in a rivalry that has blocked his path to tennis history. As he prepares for the Australian Open, the 38-year-old joked about the grip Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have had on the sport’s biggest prizes over the past two years.of the Australian Open. Djokovic said he recognized he was lacking “a little bit of juice in my legs” and that preserving his body, and staying as pain-free as possible, mattered more than extra match play.
It is a familiar challenge, one he has faced before. Djokovic once solved the puzzle posed by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, transforming a two-man rivalry into the era-defining “Big Three” and ultimately surpassing both. Now, he is attempting to do something similar as Alcaraz and Sinner reshape the men’s game.
Djokovic last lifted a major trophy at the 2023 U.S. Open. Since then, Sinner and Alcaraz have divided the eight Grand Slam titles between them. Sinner arrives in Melbourne as the two-time defending Australian Open champion, while Alcaraz is determined to capture the title at Melbourne Park and complete a career Grand Slam.
Despite those obstacles, Djokovic remains a fixture deep in the biggest tournaments. Injuries hampered him last year, yet he still reached the semifinals at all four majors. His Australian Open ended abruptly when a torn hamstring forced him to retire from his semifinal, but not before he had eliminated Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
Reflecting on his pursuit of history, Djokovic said he has worked to shift his mindset. Reminding himself that “24 is also not a bad number,” he explained that adopting a “now-or-never” mentality had not brought out his best tennis.
“Sinner and Alcaraz are playing on a different level right now from everybody else. That’s a fact,” Djokovic said. “But that doesn’t mean that nobody else has a chance. So I like my chances always, in any tournament, particularly here.”
The 10-time Australian Open champion opens his campaign Monday night on Rod Laver Arena against Spain’s Pedro Martinez, ranked 71st in the world. Seeded fourth, Djokovic is in the same half of the draw as top-ranked Alcaraz, meaning the two could meet in the semifinals if both advance.
Djokovic has not played an official match since November, opting instead for an extended period of physical rebuilding. He said recovery now takes longer than it once did, requiring patience and careful planning.
“I obviously took more time to rebuild my body, because I understand that in the last couple of years, that’s what changed the most for me,” he said. “It takes more time to rebuild, and it also takes more time to reset or recover.”
A minor setback forced him to skip the Adelaide tournament, but Djokovic said his preparations in Melbourne have gone smoothly. While acknowledging daily aches and pains, he said he generally feels good and eager to compete.
Off the court, Djokovic is also navigating change. Earlier this month, he formally cut ties with the Professional Tennis Players Association, the organization he co-founded in 2020 with Canadian player Vasek Pospisil. The group was created to advocate for players’ interests in a sport where athletes compete as independent contractors.
Djokovic said his departure was difficult but necessary, citing a growing disconnect between his views and the organization’s direction.
“It was a tough call for me to exit the PTPA, but I had to do that, because I felt like my name was overused,” he said. “People, whenever they think about the PTPA, think it’s my organization, which was the wrong idea from the very beginning.”
While stepping away, Djokovic emphasized that he still believes in the underlying mission.
“I am still wishing them all the best,” he said, “because I think there is room and there is a need for a 100% players-only representation organization existing in our ecosystem.”
As another Australian Open begins, Djokovic remains realistic about the challenge ahead — but no less confident. History may be within reach, and if the past is any guide, he has never needed perfect circumstances to believe he belongs at the center of the game.
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