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NOVAK DJOKOVIC REVEALS HIS KEY ADVANTAGE OVER CARLOS ALCARAZ AND JANNIK SINNER

Djokovic Backs Himself Against Alcaraz, Sinner Beyond The Slams

Novak Djokovic reveals his key advantage over Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Novak Djokovic reveals his key advantage over Alcaraz and Sinner

Novak Djokovic reaffirmed that he has a "better" chance against world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 2 Jannik Sinner in Masters 1000 tournaments, after claiming for the last few years that he is mostly focused on the Grand Slams.

At the Shanghai Open, where he has won four times, the 38-year-old, 24-time major winner told reporters, "The Masters events are played over almost two weeks." "I think I have a better chance of winning a trophy or producing a noteworthy outcome there, you know."

Similar remarks were made by Djokovic, who is currently ranked fifth in the world, following his straight-set loss to Alcaraz in the US Open quarterfinals. In 2024, he advanced to the semifinals of all four tournaments, losing to Sinner twice, Alcaraz once, and Alexander Zverev once.

"Yeah, that's what I said after the US Open, because I felt that it's really difficult for me to play best-of-five against these guys in the later stages of the tournament," he added.

"I don't feel like I'm as fresh as they are in the semifinals." It's alright. That's simply a biological truth, I suppose, and I'll have to come to terms with it someday.

"I'm still doing everything I can under the circumstances to challenge the guys or, more importantly, to challenge myself, and I'm really seeing how I can do in all the tournaments that I participate in."

Djokovic also responded to the top players' worries about the tennis schedule. The Masters 1000 program currently spans nearly the whole year, with the majority of the tournaments lasting two weeks.

After winning the Tokyo Open, Alcaraz withdrew from Shanghai and blasted the schedule, declaring, "They are going to kill us in some way."

WTA No. 2 Sinner stated that if players wanted to take a vacation from tennis, they should start missing events, while Iga Swiatek claimed that the season was "too long and too intense."

I was personally opposed to the Masters 1000 tournaments' time being extended. Am I correct? Djokovic stated. "I had the impression that I was opposed to it from the start. In fact, I was against that even while I was a member of the council, since I believe I was the council president at the time. It's not good for the players, in my opinion.

"From one angle, you might say that having the days off between tournaments is beneficial for me at my age right now. However, I believe that in the end, it just removes days from the calendar and timetable for the majority of gamers. I don't personally support that.

"As a player, I never enjoyed that, but I see that there are benefits to tournaments and other events. I thus understand or feel sorry for gamers who oppose it as they are now, I suppose, recognising that it's not so wonderful.

However, keep in mind that you constantly have to make decisions because it's a sport that is specific to each player. Ultimately, you still can make decisions. I see that some gamers may claim that regulations are enforced and so forth.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC LANDS IN ATHENS AFTER HISTORIC AUSTRALIAN OPEN RUNNER-UP FINISH

After a historic loss to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic returns to his family in Athens to reset for the 2026 tennis season.

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Novak Djokovic loses first-ever Australian Open final to unstoppable Carlos Alcaraz

After losing his first Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic just wanted to see his family.

Djokovic landed in Athens on Tuesday, wrapping up two weeks away from home and marking his 38th appearance in a major final.

For the first time ever, Novak walked away from Rod Laver Arena with the runner-up trophy. At 36, he became the oldest finalist in Australian Open history, but Alcaraz stopped him in four sets: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. The match lasted just over three hours.

This was Djokovic's first tournament in more than two months, and even so, he showed why people call him a legend. He cruised through the first three rounds and reached the last 16 without much fuss.

In the fourth round, Jakub Mensik had to pull out with an abdominal injury, so Novak got a walkover and saved some energy for the big matches ahead. But things nearly fell apart a few days later. Lorenzo Musetti took the first two sets in their quarterfinal, and for a moment, Djokovic looked like he might be headed home early. Then, out of nowhere, Musetti retired in the third set, and suddenly Novak was through to his 13th Australian Open semi-final.

Next up was Jannik Sinner, the two-time defending champ. Djokovic had to dig deep. Twice he came back from a set down and eventually won 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 after more than four hours on court. He fought off 16 out of 18 break points and weathered over 70 winners from Sinner, proving that belief really does go a long way. At 36, he marched into his 38th major final.

Djokovic left everything on court against Alcaraz. He started strong, but the Spaniard found his rhythm and took control in the second and third sets, racking up five breaks. In the fourth, Novak saved six break points early on and kept pace, even earning a break chance at 4-all. Then he missed a forehand he’d usually make, and just like that, his shot at a fifth set slipped away.

Alcaraz broke late in the set and sealed the win, handing Djokovic his first-ever loss in an Australian Open final. Now, Novak’s taking some time off to be with his family. He’s expected back on court soon, probably in Doha, but right now, only he knows how his schedule will look.

WHO IS SAMUEL LOPEZ? MEET THE COACH BEHIND CARLOS ALCARAZ’S 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN GLORY

Discover the touching moment Carlos Alcaraz saw coach Samuel Lopez receive a trophy after his Australian Open victory.

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Samuel Lopez is the perfect strategic fit for Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz just pulled off something huge—he beat Novak Djokovic in four sets (2:6, 6:2, 6:3, 7:5) to win the Australian Open. With this win, he joins the legends of the Open era, becoming one of the rare players to snag at least one title at all four Grand Slams.

Here’s the wild part: Alcaraz is just 22. Actually, he turns 23 on May 5, so he’s still got plenty of time. This marks his seventh Grand Slam title already. For a bit of perspective, Djokovic had only one Grand Slam trophy at Alcaraz’s age.

Since he’d never won the Australian Open before, Alcaraz didn’t really know the drill for the trophy ceremony. His coach, Samuel Lopez, got a trophy too, which caught Carlos off guard—in a good way. Their partnership has clearly paid off.

Talking to the media, Alcaraz said he loved that coaches get recognised with their own trophy. He hadn’t seen that before and thought it was a fantastic idea, since a champion’s journey isn’t a solo effort. Watching Samuel Lopez get his moment meant a lot to him. “It’s wonderful, and when I saw him there, I was so happy because I know Samuel has been working toward this moment his whole life. For me, he’s one of the best coaches—if not the best—you can have on a tennis court today. For me, it was a magical and incredibly special moment: hugging him after the last point and also seeing him there, with everyone recognising what he deserves,” Alcaraz said.

Not everyone was convinced after Alcaraz split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and started working with Lopez. Some experts doubted whether he could keep dominating the tour this year. But after Melbourne, it looks like Alcaraz isn’t going anywhere. Even without Ferrero, he’s still leading the pack.

With three more Grand Slams coming up this season, it’s shaping up to be a wild ride. You get the feeling that we’ll be watching Alcaraz and Sinner battling for the biggest prizes all year long.

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