Ex-WTA Pro Writes Off Novak Djokovic’s Chances of Winning 2026 Australian Open Due to Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner Dominance

World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz and World No.2 Jannik Sinner swept away the last eight Grand Slam titles.

Ex-WTA Pro Writes Off Novak Djokovic’s Chances of Winning 2026 Australian Open Due to Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner Dominance

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/AllAboutHQ, Jannik Sinner HQ)

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The 2026 tennis season is around the corner, with the first big event being the Australian Open, where Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz will be chasing history. But former WTA World No.9 CoCo Vandeweghe thinks the Serb’s chances of emerging as the winner are slim.

Sinner will be eyeing a three-peat at the Melbourne Major. In the previous two seasons, he overcame Daniil Medvedev and breezed past Alexander Zverev, respectively. If he wins again, he will become the second player after Djokovic to win three back-to-back Australian Open titles. Djokovic completed the three-peat twice (2011–2013 and 2019–2021).

Djokovic will be bidding to win a record-extending 11th Australian Open title as well as his historic 25th Grand Slam trophy. In the previous two seasons, he lost in the semifinals: to Sinner in 2024 and to Zverev this year (Djokovic actually withdrew due to an injury).

Alcaraz, even though he will be chasing the Career Grand Slam in Melbourne, has never reached the semifinals of the event. In 2024, Zverev knocked him out in four sets in the quarterfinals, while this year, it was Djokovic who stopped his progression with a four-set win in the last eight.

Amidst all this, the tennis world has started discussing who will be the favorite to win the first Major of the season. The sheer dominance of Alcaraz and Sinner in Majors (as they have won the last eight titles) has forced Vandeweghe to bet against the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

I hate to bet against the GOAT, but I’m going to have to say no. I think Sinner and Alcaraz’s dominance is simply too strong to overcome, especially in a best-of-five-set Grand Slam format. Djokovic reached four semi-finals in 2025 and lost three, against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

CoCo Vandeweghe said on Tennis Channel

Djokovic, in fact, was the last player not named Alcaraz or Sinner to win a Major (2023 US Open). Since that win, the only time he made a Grand Slam final was at the 2024 Wimbledon, where Alcaraz breezed past him, winning his second consecutive win over Nole in the Wimbledon final.

This year, apart from the Major Down Under, the 38-year-old also made the semifinals of the remaining three Majors. Sinner beat him at Wimbledon and the French Open, while Alcaraz beat him at the US Open.

Juan Carlos Ferrero shares why he rejected a top-10 player’s offer to coach Carlos Alcaraz

Back in 2018, a 15-year-old Carlos Alcaraz joined ex-coach Juan Carlos Ferrero‘s Ferrero Tennis Academy. The 45-year-old at that time had just finished coaching Alexander Zverev.

Carlos Alcaraz, Juan Carlos Ferrero (2)
Carlos Alcaraz, Juan Carlos Ferrero (Image via X/Daily Alcaraz)

Ferrero also received a coaching offer from a top 10 player, but instead of accepting it, he decided to take Alcaraz under his wing, officially becoming his coach in 2019, and the rest, as they say, is history. During his interview with Marca following his split with the six-time Grand Slam champion, Ferrero shared again why he wanted to coach the teen Alcaraz.

Yes, but I was very clear that I needed that stage in my life to try to be with someone who was all ears and eyes to learn and improve, and to see on their face that enthusiasm for training every day. Coming from Zverev, I needed a change of scenery. The opportunity presented itself, and I didn’t hesitate for a moment with any of the other names that came up.

Not only his six Majors, but Alcaraz won all 24 tour-level titles under Ferrero’s guidance. Alcaraz also became the World No.1 player under him (youngest man to do so) after winning his career’s first Major at the 2022 US Open. Ferrero parted ways with Alcaraz because of failed contract negotiations.

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