As the 2026 Australian Open got underway, John McEnroe made clear that he doesn't think Novak Djokovic believes he can win another major. McEnroe said in Djokovic's heart of hearts, he doesn't think he can beat either Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz, and potentially, both.
McEnroe knows tennis well, of course. He has been a keen observer of the sport ever since his playing days ended, and he was a great player. The American won seven majors, so he understands the mentality it takes to go through a two-week tournament and win best-of-five matches. One has to believe they can win.
Of course, no one would expect Djokovic to say he doesn't believe he can win. He probably wouldn't have entered the tournament, or any tournament, if he didn't think he could win. He dominated his opponents in the first two rounds in Melbourne, but McEnroe was still not impressed.
John McEnroe can't quit his opinion of Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open
Speaking on TNT Sports after Djokovic defeated Francesco Maestrelli in the second round 6-3 6-2 6-2 (the same score in which Djokovic beat Pedro Martinez in the first round), McEnroe said, "I’ve watched him probably play about a thousand times, so that would be on the lower echelon of impressed, but I don’t think it mattered. He did what he had to do, and he’s done that a couple of hundred times."
Fair enough. Sometimes players have to grind through a match, especially at a Grand Slam, to move on to the next round. The score doesn't really imply Novak Djokovic had to do that, though. He might not have been perfect, but he obviously wasn't greatly tested.
But McEnroe added, "He’s fine. He looked a little irritable for some reason. I’m not quite sure why, ’cause it was never close... I was always so upbeat and positive! He looked good. It’s not like he looked bad. He looked amazing for 38 (years old)."
Clearly, the American was a bit tongue-in-cheek in his comment on Djokovic. McEnroe was not always upbeat and positive. He was one of the feistier players on the ATP and was well-known for his outbursts. He also played up to that expectation in an exhibition match. He gave fans what they wanted.
Potentially, he is simply doing the same thing as a commentator. He is pushing the truth a bit while not completely overstepping. Plus, Djokovic has appeared grumpy in many matches he has won late in tournaments. He expects perfection, and that is one reason he has won 24 majors.
Next for Novak Djokovic in the third round at the Australian Open is Botic van de Zandschulp. The Dutch player is currently ranked No. 75, and he defeated Djokovic in 2025 at Indian Wells. If the Serb sweeps through the third round with ease, then we can see if John McEnroe is revisiting his current opinion on Djokovic.