Alexander Zverev’s Brother Skeptical Novak Djokovic Can Challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in 2026

Novak Djokovic is arguably the greatest tennis player of all time, having won 24 Grand Slams and spent 428 weeks at the top of the world rankings. However, for the past two years, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the men’s circuit, leaving Djokovic without a Grand Slam title.

The last time Djokovic won a Grand Slam was at the 2023 US Open, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in New York. Ever since then, Alcaraz and Sinner have been the players claiming major titles. The duo has won the last eight Grand Slams, sharing them evenly.

It is crystal clear that Alcaraz and Sinner aren’t going to step down from dominance in the men’s circuit. They are currently in their early 20s and are improving on their game at every tournament, especially Grand Slams. Meanwhile, Djokovic is 38 and doesn’t have the same energy he once had.

Djokovic has previously declared his intentions of winning his 25th Grand Slam title and thus surpassing Margaret Court, with whom he currently shares the record. However, the question many are asking is whether he can achieve the feat this year. With Alcaraz and Sinner as the favorites to win all four Grand Slams, can Djokovic challenge the duo?

During an interview with Blick, Alexander Zverev’s brother, Mischa Zverev, was asked about Djokovic’s chances of winning his 25th Grand Slam. The World No.3’s brother noted that Alcaraz and Sinner are currently playing better than Djokovic, while stressing his brother Alexander has an advantage over the 38-year-old:

With Novak, you can still feel that something is missing. Perhaps the pace, which is currently a bit higher with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. In the final stages of Grand Slams or Masters tournaments, you should never rule out Novak. But his body clearly plays a role. He simply has a few more kilometers under his belt. Alcaraz and Sinner are ahead, then comes Sascha. And after that, we don’t really know who follows.

Djokovic will kick off his 2026 season at the Adelaide International ahead of the Australian Open. The Serbian legend will hope to deliver a performance that sets the tone for him ahead of the Australian Open, which begins on January 18. He has won the Adelaide International on two occasions and will be aiming to win it for the third time.

Former Player believes Novak Djokovic cannot be underestimated

Novak Djokovic impressed last year despite not winning a Grand Slam. The former World No.1 reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams on tour despite his age. He proved he can still beat the young players on tour, but failed to compete against the two best players in the men’s circuit (Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner).

During the aforementioned interview, Djokovic’s former rival Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who faced him 23 times and won just five of their meetings, was asked about the chances of the Serb challenging Sinner and Alcaraz. He revealed that he doesn’t believe Djokovic has given up on competing with the duo:

When you hear him talk about Carlos and Jannik today, putting them on another level, you sometimes get the impression that he’s already given up. But I think he’s still ready. He continues to play very good tennis. And if there’s even an inch of opening, he’ll strike. You can feel that with each step onto the court, he pushes the limits even further. It will be fascinating to follow him this year.

Djokovic finished the 2025 season winning two titles and cementing his place in the top 5 of the ATP rankings. He earned his 100th career tour-level title at the Geneva Open after beating Hubert Hurkacz in the final. He then claimed his 101st at the Hellenic Championship in November.

Also Read: Tennis Insider Shares Novak Djokovic’s Retirement Plans Which Won’t Be ‘Abrupt’

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