Novak Djokovic Reveals the Challenges He Faces Against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on Tour

At 39, Novak Djokovic remains locked in competition with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but he’s far from his best. The former World No.1 has found it hard to break the dominance of the two top stars in the men’s circuit. In a recent interview, he admitted that he knows how to beat Sinner and Alcaraz but doesn’t know whether his body will permit him to do that.

Djokovic last defeated Sinner at this year’s Australian Open and Alcaraz at the 2025 Melbourne Grand Slam event. He has met them several times on the court since 2024, but often finds it hard to get the better of both players in Grand Slam tournaments. He has not won a Grand Slam tournament since 2023.

In January, he reached the final of the Australian Open, but couldn’t get hold of the title as he lost to Alcaraz in four sets. Before 2024, Djokovic dominated the men’s circuit, winning four of the last six Slams. Despite being in his mid-30’s, he was regarded as the player to beat on tour and had taken his major title tally to 24.

In the past two seasons, Alcaraz and Sinner have evolved in their game so fast that Djokovic has found it hard to get close to their level. He has shown a willingness to beat them, but often fails to match their bursting energy on the court.

Currently, the World No.7 is chasing his record 25th Grand Slam, but Sinner and Alcaraz seem to be his biggest obstacle. In an interview with TNT Sports, Djokovic admitted that facing Sinner and Alcaraz presents a different kind of obstacle due to the similarities he sees between their approach and his own when he was a young player:

I showed up as well, different. Three of us, we were all different. And now with Alcaraz and Sinner being the dominant force in tennis, these two guys remind me of myself so much. I’m like: ‘I’m playing myself from 10 years ago and 15 years ago,’ and it kind of hurts me to feel that on the court. I mean, I know how to crack the code, but can I?

Alcaraz and Sinner have won ten of the last eleven Grand Slams on tour. The only person to break their dominance was Alexander Zverev at the French Open last month. Some analysts believe that Zverev was lucky that Alcaraz was injured and Sinner had suffered a shocking loss in the second round. Sinner recently won his fifth Grand Slam after beating Zverev in four sets at the Wimbledon final.

Novak Djokovic opens up on how he remains motivated to compete with younger players

In the past three months, former players and legendary coaches such as Toni Nadal have suggested that Novak Djokovic retire, as he cannot achieve his 25th Grand Slam goal. However, the 39-year-old hinted at playing at Wimbledon next season, which means he’s thinking about hanging up his racket anytime soon.

Nevertheless, the biggest question has been whether Djokovic still has the motivation to continue competing after every Grand Slam heartbreak. Can he find inspiration to beat Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in Grand Slam events? Djokovic revealed during the aforementioned interview that he sustains his passion on tour by always motivating himself:

So, it’s always finding new ways to motivate yourself, to inspire yourself to be better and the rivalries are good. They’re important. So you got to always find someone in the crowd or someone on the court that is going to push you to be better.

Alcaraz is out of the Canadian Open as he continues to recover from his wrist injury. Meanwhile, Djokovic and Sinner are on the entry list for the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Montreal. Although it is not yet certain that Djokovic will play at the tournament, as he has been engaged in media interviews ahead of his documentary release.

Also Read: Former ATP Player Doubts the Veracity of Carlos Alcaraz’s Wrist Injury as He Believes It’s a “Mystery”