Novak Djokovic is 38 years old and might be playing some of the final tournaments of his storied career in 2026. Might being the operative word. Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam winner and the most successful player in the history of the sport. When he says goodbye is up to him.
But does he think he can still win another major? He started his 2026 Australian Open run well, but with each proceeding round, the matches get tougher. Does he have the stamina to make a run at his 11th title in Melbourne? He struggled with an apparent neck issue ahead of the tournament, after all.
The truth is that Djokovic, who made the semifinals in all four Grand Slams in 2025, might be ending his career at one of the worst times to do so. Men's tennis has good depth, of course, but it is also ruled by two of the best players in a generation. Djokovic might not be able to win another major because he isn't as good as Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz in his current form.
Greg Rusedski pushes back on John McEnroe's view of Novak Djokovic
John McEnroe, who knows a few things about winning majors, doubts that the Serb-turned-Greek even believes himself that he can win at least one more. McEnroe said as much on TNT Sports
The American said, "In his heart of hearts and in my opinion, no (Djokovic doesn't think he can win). I don’t think he can beat both of those guys when he has already had to go through five matches — that’s the problem. That’s the reality he has talked about."
Greg Rusedski, a former British No. 1 men's player, disagrees with McEnroe's opinion, however. Rusedski thinks neither fans nor pundits have a real reason to doubt Djokovic. After all, who can insert themselves into the narrative the 24-time major winner has going through his head? No one has ever reached the levels of success he has.
Rusedski said on the Off Court Cuts podcast, "I thought it was really interesting to hear McEnroe’s comments that he doesn’t feel Novak can beat Alcaraz and Sinner back-to-back...Don’t discount Novak if he can move through the (early) rounds easily."
In the first round, Novak Djokovic dispatched Pedro Martinez with ease, 6-3 6-2 6-2. He will next face Francesco Maestrelli. The Italian is 23 years old, but has played just two ATP matches in his career. One was in the first round of the Australian Open after he made it through the qualifiers. His first-round match took five sets.
In other words, Djokovic losing to Maestrelli would be a monumental upset. The assumption should be that the ATP No. 4 will make it into the third round with ease. He should be fresh for the third round, and the longer he sticks around in Melbourne, the more dangerous he is. Even for Sinner and Alcaraz.