Novak Djokovic: I believe I will win the 2026 Australian Open

Djokovic continues to be hopeful about capturing his 25th Grand Slam trophy.

Novak Djokovic kept his usual humor when discussing the fierce competition with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner — two young stars who have prevented him from reaching his 25th Grand Slam singles title over the past two years.

"I have lost three of the last four Grand Slams to either Sinner or Alcaraz.", Djokovic said during a press conference ahead of the 2026 Australian Open on January 17th. "We don’t need to praise them any more. They have been praised enough! We know how good they are, and they fully deserve their current positions. They are the dominant forces in men's tennis right now."

Entering his third consecutive season chasing his 25th Major title, Djokovic stated he has adjusted his approach to optimize his physical condition. The 38-year-old even withdrew from his only planned warm-up tournament, admitting he was "a bit short on stamina" to compete with the younger players in the later stages of Grand Slams, prioritizing keeping his body as pain-free as possible.

Djokovic currently holds 24 Grand Slam titles — a record in the Open Era and tied for the most in history with legend Margaret Court. His last Grand Slam victory was at the 2023 US Open. Since then, Sinner and Alcaraz have shared 8 titles, with Sinner winning the last two Australian Opens, and Alcaraz arriving in Melbourne aiming to complete the Career Grand Slam.

Despite injuries, Djokovic reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slams last year. At the Australian Open, a hamstring injury forced him to retire in the semifinals after defeating Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.

"Sinner and Alcaraz are playing at a different level. That’s true, but that doesn’t mean no one else has a chance. I always believe in my abilities, especially here.", Djokovic affirmed.

The 10-time Australian Open champion will start his campaign on January 19th at Rod Laver Arena against Pedro Martinez (ranked 71st in the world). Seeded fourth, Djokovic is in the same quarter as Sinner and can only meet the younger player in the semifinals.