Speaking before the tournament, Djokovic frankly acknowledged the strong rise of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner - two opponents who have repeatedly prevented him from reaching his 25th Grand Slam title in the last two seasons.
The Serbian tennis player said he respects the position of his juniors, and admitted that they are contemporary men's tennis leaders.
Turning 38, Djokovic said he has significantly adjusted his preparations for the season, especially in the allocation of physical strength.
The tennis player who has won the Australian Open 10 times admitted that he no longer maintains the dense competition density as before, even withdrawing from the warm-up tournament as planned to ensure the best physical condition when entering the first Grand Slam of the year.
According to Djokovic, keeping the body from experiencing prolonged pain is a top priority, especially when competing with young players with stronger physical foundations in the final stages of major tournaments.
Currently, Djokovic owns 24 Grand Slam titles - the highest achievement in the Open Era and equals the all-time record with legend Margaret Court. His most recent Grand Slam championship is the US Open 2023.
Since then, Sinner and Alcaraz have taken turns dominating major tournaments, in which Sinner won two consecutive Australian Open titles, while Alcaraz aims to complete the Career Grand Slam at Melbourne this year.
Despite facing many physical problems in the 2025 season, Djokovic still reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams. Especially at the Australian Open, he was forced to retire in the semi-finals due to a hamstring injury, after eliminating Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.
Djokovic believes that the superiority of Sinner and Alcaraz does not mean that other tennis players no longer have the opportunity to compete. The Serbian tennis player emphasized that the Australian Open is still the tournament that brings him the most confidence in his career.
According to the schedule, Djokovic will start at the Australian Open 2026 on January 19 at Rod Laver Arena, facing Pedro Martinez - a player ranked 71st in the world.
As the 4th seed, Djokovic is in the same bracket as Jannik Sinner and can only face this opponent in the semi-finals.
