AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2026: JOHN MCENROE IS RIGHT: NOVAK DJOKOVIC CANNOT SURVIVE BOTH SINNER AND ALCARAZ NOW
John McEnroe questions if Novak Djokovic can overcome Sinner and Alcaraz to win an 11th Australian Open title at 38 years old.
John McEnroe calls Novak Djokovic’s ten Australian Open titles “mindblowing”, but he’s not convinced Novak can add another.
Djokovic grabbed his first Grand Slam trophy in Melbourne back in 2008, and the Australian Open has always suited him best. Now he’s chasing an 11th title there—and a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam overall.
“It’s mindblowing,” McEnroe said on TNT Sports. “We talk about Rafa winning 14 French Opens, and that already sounds impossible. Then you look at Novak, and he’s got ten in Australia. It makes you wonder—how does he pull this off every off-season?
“Sometimes he hasn’t played much, and you’re not sure where he’s at, physically or mentally. Then he shows up, does what he does, gets in his opponent’s head, and finds a way. It’s incredible.”
Last season, Djokovic reached the semi-finals at all four Majors, but his quest for a 25th Slam keeps running into Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Sinner beat him at Wimbledon and the French Open, and Alcaraz knocked him out at the US Open.
McEnroe thinks Djokovic still believes he can win in Melbourne, but he’s sceptical about Novak’s chances against both Sinner and Alcaraz in the final rounds.
“In his heart of hearts? I don’t think so. I don’t see him beating both those guys after five tough matches—that’s the problem. That’s the reality he’s facing.
“People might ask, ‘Why keep going if you haven’t won in a couple of years and you’re so used to winning?’ Honestly, why not?
“For me, he’s still No. 3 in the world. He made four semis last year and beat Alcaraz here. He must think he can win, or he wouldn’t play—he’s not the type to show up if he doesn’t believe. But it’s harder now since he doesn’t play as much.”
McEnroe also says Djokovic deserves more recognition. For years, he played in Federer and Nadal’s shadow, and now Alcaraz is the new fan favourite.
“He was like Ivan Drago with Nadal and Federer—those guys were adored, and then along comes Alcaraz, and everyone loves him too. Novak’s probably thinking, ‘Where’s my love? I deserve it.’ And he does.
“He’s been a huge positive for tennis; his record speaks for itself, and he’s always been sharp. The other players respect him. So go ahead, Novak, soak it up and enjoy every minute.”
Djokovic hasn’t played since early October 2025, when he won his 101st career title in Athens. He pulled out of Adelaide at the start of the year, saying he wasn’t “physically ready to compete”. TNT Sports expert Tim Henman thinks the real test for Djokovic is now physical.
“Last year, his consistency in the Slams was just brilliant. It took the two best players to beat him, and he even beat Alcaraz here.
“I’m really curious about where he’s at, not just tennis-wise but physically. It only gets tougher as you get older, and best-of-five matches are brutal.
“He’s raised the bar with his training and nutrition, but improving at this stage is tough. When you’re that good, there’s not much room left. His movement just can’t be what it was.
“When you can’t move as well, you’ve got to take more risks from the baseline and play more aggressively.”
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
