THE LAST DANCE? WHY THE 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN COULD BE NOVAK DJOKOVIC’S FINAL ACT
Mark Woodforde warns Novak Djokovic may retire in 2026 if the Australian Open fails. Inside the quest for a 25th Grand Slam title.
Novak Djokovic is heading into another season with questions swirling around him. Former Grand Slam champ Mark Woodforde thinks Djokovic might hang up his racket sooner than most people expect.
Djokovic is chasing his 25th Grand Slam title—a record—and trying for his 11th Australian Open win. But at 38, he’s up against some tough odds. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been dominating men’s tennis for the past two years, and beating them won’t be easy.
Djokovic has said he wants to stretch his career all the way to the 2028 Olympics, but that’s a huge ask. He’s admitted his motivation isn’t what it used to be.
Now, Woodforde, who has 17 Grand Slam doubles titles, shared his thoughts about where Djokovic’s head might be as he heads into his 22nd Australian Open.
“If he doesn’t have a good result at the AO, I wouldn’t be shocked if he decides to retire,” Woodforde told Tennis365. “That’s just my gut feeling.”
“You can’t put ‘mediocre’ and ‘Novak Djokovic’ in the same sentence,” he added. “Last year, you could blame injuries and recovery from the previous season, but age is catching up with him. It happens fast as you get older. This Australian Open is key. It might decide whether we’ll still see him out there in 2026.”
Pat Cash, another former Wimbledon winner, also weighed in. He said Djokovic is trying to do something almost impossible—win a 25th major against younger opponents.
“I’m really curious to see how he goes,” Cash said.
He talked about how tricky it is at the end of a career to train just enough to last those long, brutal matches, but not so hard that you get hurt.
“You have to save enough energy so you’re not exhausted, but not overdo it and end up injured before the tournament even starts. When you’re young, you can bounce back from a five-set match pretty quickly. Later on, your body just doesn’t recover the same way. That’s just reality. So the fact that Novak is still out there is incredible.”
“He always finds a way to solve problems, so it’s going to be fascinating to see how he handles the Australian Open. Has he played enough? Has he trained enough? Is he pacing himself for the big matches—and will that approach work?”
“I just don’t see him beating Alcaraz and Sinner in back-to-back five-setters. That’s the real challenge. He might make the semis again, but then he runs into the same wall.”
COCO GAUFF BATTLES THROUGH ILLNESS, VOMITING ON COURT TO ADVANCE PAST SORANA CIRSTEA
Coco Gauff battled a severe stomach virus to defeat Sorana Cirstea. See how she survived the illness sweeping the Madrid Open.
Coco Gauff caught the stomach bug that’s been knocking players out left and right at the Madrid Open. Even so, she somehow pulled out a win over Sorana Cirstea, grinding through three sets – 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 – on April 26 to book her spot in the round of 16.
It’s been a rough week in Madrid. Players keep dropping from illness; just ask Iga Swiatek, who had to stop mid-match against Ann Li on April 25, or Marin Cilic, who withdrew before his second-rounder with Joao Fonseca the day before. Liudmila Samsonova didn’t even make it to the court for her third-round match with Linda Noskova; she pulled out sick, too.
Gauff, just 22, threw up into a courtside bin during her match with Cirstea. She called for a medical timeout late in the fight but pushed through, finishing after two hours and 21 minutes.
“Yeah, I don’t know, honestly,” she said afterwards, still sounding a bit dazed. “I was just trying to finish the match, and one point turned into another. I think I picked up what everyone else has here in Madrid. So I’m just going to try to hang on for tomorrow.”
Gauff finished runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka here last year. With her clay season full of points to defend (3,300 from Madrid through the French Open), there’s a lot on her plate and not much time (Roland Garros starts May 24).
“I pulled out at Indian Wells. I really hate retiring, so I didn’t want to do that again today. I’m glad I could tough it out,” said Gauff, who already has two Grand Slam trophies at home.
“I started to feel better, at least not on the verge of throwing up anymore. They gave me some medicine, so that helped.
“But honestly, I was so tired... At first, I was just trying not to throw up the little food I ate. After the meds, I was just wiped out and still nauseous. But I can play like that.”
JANNIK SINNER URGES RIVAL ALCARAZ TO BE PATIENT DURING HIS WRIST RECOVERY
Two-time champion Alcaraz will miss Roland Garros. Jannik Sinner shares his support as the French Open title race gets a shake-up.
So, Carlos Alcaraz, twice a French Open champ, won’t make it to Roland Garros this year. He’s out with an injury, and it’s official. Alcaraz shared the news on social media, saying, “After seeing the test results today, we decided the smartest move is to play it safe, so I won’t compete in Rome or at Roland Garros. We’ll keep an eye on my recovery and figure out the right time to get back on court. It’s a tough moment for me, but I’m sure I’ll come back stronger.”
The tournament wished him a quick recovery with a simple, “We’ll miss you, Carlos!”
With Alcaraz stepping out, Jannik Sinner becomes the clear favourite in Paris. Sure, Novak Djokovic might make his move too; he always does, but right now the buzz is all about Sinner.
Reporters asked Sinner about his chances in France now that his big rival is out. He wasn’t eager to go there. Sinner said, “Honestly, this isn’t about me being the favourite. Tennis needs Carlos; he brings a whole different energy to the sport. And personally, I enjoy having him around because he makes me think about my own game and the tournament differently. Even though we’d only clash in the final as the top two seeds, it just feels better when he’s part of the draw. I hope he recovers quickly. It’s really difficult for tennis when a top player is injured, especially with the wrists. Look at what’s happened to others. I just hope he takes his time and comes back fully ready. Nobody wants to see him rush back and end up with a worse problem.”
Fans loved Sinner’s answer. Videos from the press conference popped up on social media, with people calling it “pure class". One fan commented, “That’s class. Don’t root for others to get hurt.” Another added, “Jannik Sinner, pure class for his rival dealing with a serious injury." Nothing but respect between these two young legends. And really, it’s hard to disagree. Sinner kept it respectful. He knows his odds are better now, but he made it clear: tennis just isn’t the same without Alcaraz.
