Novak Djokovic arrived in Melbourne without having played any tournament before after giving up playing in Adelaide. Hours on the court are what many tennis players look for, rhythm and quality of shots at this time of year. Not precisely the one who will compete for the twenty-first time Australian Open: “I need a little game in my legs to be able to compete with these guys in the later stages of the Grand Slams. I am giving my best, as I did in 2025, where I think I did very well.”
Who are those famous kids? None other than Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. 1 and 2 in the world: “We don’t need to praise Sinner or Alcaraz more, they were already praised enough (laughs). I lost 3 of 4 Grand Slams against them. There is no need to praise them too much. We know how good they are, they deserve to be where they are, they are the dominant forces in men’s tennis today. In my case, I still try to be there, not so much in terms of ranking, although it is great to be No. 4.”
“In recent years I have played semi-finals. I had a great victory against Alcaraz last year. When I’m healthy I think I can beat everyone. I still have motivation. I assume they are at another level, but I like challenges and I try to take advantage of the opportunities I have. I would love to have the opportunity to fight one of them, or maybe both. We will see what happens,” he said regarding his chances of reaching decisive bodies.
With less pressure but with the ambition to extend an unmatched record despite assuming that he is in the final stretch of his career and that he is not the same as when he was at his peak: “There is the passion, the love for the game, the interaction with people, that energy you feel when you enter a court. It is like an adrenaline rush, almost like a drug. Many of the best athletes in the world can identify with this, it is very addictive, which is why everyone wants to repeat.”
To achieve this, it is important to take care of your physique at your age: “It is my priority to treat each match as if it were a final, but without spending unnecessary energy. I hope to be able to go far again.” Will debut vs. Pedro Martínez, 28 years old and number 71 in the ATP rankings. And there it goes. Aile va.
The Australian Open can be followed on the Disney+ Plan Premium screen.
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