Novak Djokovic admits he lacks “a bit of juice” but has backed himself to challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Yannick Sinner at the Australian Open.
The 38-year-old was the only other man to beat either Alcaraz or Sinner at a Grand Slam in 2025, toppling the Spaniard in the quarter-finals in Melbourne, and is arguably their biggest threat despite his age.
Djokovic then lost to Sinner twice and Alcaraz once in the semifinals at other Slams, all in straight sets, but he said, “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 didn’t have that confidence and self-belief, I wouldn’t be here. I still have the drive and, of course, I understand that Sinner and Alcaraz are playing at a different level than everybody else right now.”
“That’s a fact, but that doesn’t mean that nobody else has a chance. So, I like my chances always, in any tournament, especially here.”
‘I’m missing some juice in my legs’
Melbourne Park has been the most successful venue of Djokovic’s career, as the Serbian has lifted the trophy 10 times, but he knows his own body is likely to be as big an obstacle as Alcaraz or Sinner.
Djokovic struggled to maintain his fitness during the best-of-five sets last year and has not played a match since early November after minor problems first brought his 2025 season to an early end and then caused him to miss this week’s tournament in Adelaide.
“I had a bit of a setback,” he said. “That’s why I didn’t go there, but it’s been going really well here so far. Obviously every day there’s something here and there for me, and I guess for each of us, but overall I feel good and I’m looking forward to the competition.”
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Novak Djokovic says he is more challenging than he was when he was ten years younger, but his game will not change and will continue as long as he feels he can endure.
“I’m missing a bit of juice in my legs, to be honest, to be able to compete with these guys in the later stages of a Grand Slam.”
“But I’m definitely doing my best, as I will in 2025, and I think I did very well and challenged them on the way to the title.”
“I’m still trying to be in the mix. I’d love to have a chance to fight one of them, or maybe both of these guys, here.”
‘Tough call’ – Djokovic on PTPA separation
Djokovic, meanwhile, reflected on his shock decision earlier this month to leave the Professional Tennis Association – the body he founded in 2020 with Canadian Vasek Pospisil.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has been a very public face of the organization, but the news isn’t a complete surprise given that he publicly expressed reservations about lawsuits the PTPA filed last spring against the sport’s governing bodies.
Djokovic insisted he still believes independent player representation is important, saying: “I still feel the system is failing us.
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Sydney amateur Jordan Smith beat Australian Open champion Yannick Sinner on his way to winning the $1 million first prize at the One Point Slam.
“It was a tough call for me to leave the PTPA, but I had to do it because I felt my name was overused in almost every single article or channel of communication.
“I also didn’t like the way the leadership took the direction of the PTPA. I still wish them the best because I think there is room and there is a need for a national team organization that will be 100 percent player-only.”
“To go back to the lawsuit. Partly that’s why I left because I didn’t agree with everything that was there.”
“I hope the vision is clear to the people who are still in charge of PTPA. I don’t see it as clearly as it was in 2020.”
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