Former World No.1 Wonders If Novak Djokovic Will Play Australian Open Again After Defeat in Final

Novak Djokovic once again hinted at retirement. After losing the Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic said anything can happen in the near future, and he may or may not come to Melbourne to compete again.

Then at the press conference, he said he will be back in Australia next year, but “maybe not as an active player“. Paul McNamee, the former doubles No.1, the winner of multiple doubles Grand Slam titles, and also a fan of Djokovic, shared a heartfelt tribute to the 24-time Grand Slam champion on X.

After Novak’s heartfelt words, I can only wonder if he will be back. If not, Novak, it has been a privilege to watch you play and to get to know you as a person both in Perth and here. You are an ornament to the sport, and you are the GOAT. Whatever happens, thank you.

Djokovic reached a Grand Slam final for the first time since the 2024 Wimbledon, where Alcaraz defended his crown with a straight-set win. Last year, Djokovic lost in the semifinals of every Major.

After Novak’s heartfelt words, I can only wonder if he will be back. If not, Novak, it has been a privilege to watch you play, and to get to know you as a person both in Perth and here. You are an ornament to the sport, and you are the GOAT. Whatever happens, thank you

— Paul McNamee (@PaulFMcNamee) February 1, 2026

The win over the Serb helped Alcaraz improve his head-to-head record to 5-5, and it was also his second consecutive win over Djokovic following last year’s US Open semifinal. The most notable thing about Alcaraz’s victory was his becoming the youngest man in the Open Era to accomplish the Career Grand Slam milestone, which made him only the sixth man in the Open Era to achieve this feat.

Novak Djokovic on whether he can still compete for the Grand Slam titles

Novak Djokovic, though he was disappointed with the result, could do nothing but be content with it. He still believes he has a chance to win his 25th Major, and this belief only led him to outlast Jannik Sinner in five sets in the semifinals and produce another great performance against Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Nole knows that he has to tackle two obstacles- Sinner and Alcaraz- to add another Major to his trophy cabinet. He removed one from his path but succumbed when he met the other.

I always believe I can. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be competing, and I said this numerous times. It’s great that I was able to beat Jannik in five and really battle Carlos in four close sets. Yeah, I remain disappointed with the way I felt in second and third after an incredible start, and I felt great about myself, and then, yeah, things changed. It is what it is. That’s sport, but of course, when you draw a line, and you make, you know, assessment of what happened last couple of weeks, it’s incredible achievement for me to be able to play finals, be couple of sets away, maybe to win a championship.

Novak Djokovic said at the press conference

Sinner was bidding to become the second man in the Open Era to win three consecutive titles in the Grand Slam Down Under after Djokovic. The win helped the now seven-time Major champion extend his Big Title lead over Sinner: Alcaraz is the winner of 15 Big Titles, while the Italian’s tally is 11.

Alcaraz also played his fourth consecutive Grand Slam final. Last year, he defeated Sinner at the French Open and the US Open but failed to defeat him at Wimbledon to achieve the three-peat goal.

Now that the Australian Open is done and dusted, it’s uncertain when Djokovic will be back on the tour. Because he has been skipping tournaments since the 2024 season, Djokovic, just like last year, could sign up for only a few Masters 1000 events.

Also read: Novak Djokovic Says ‘Legendary’ Carlos Alcaraz ‘Deserves Every Bit of Praise’ After Losing Australian Open Final