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.”

Sixteen minutes into her first match at Melbourne Park, Emma Raducanu looked lost. Down 1-3, 15-40, she couldn’t find her footing. Across the net, her opponent—a newcomer most people hadn’t even heard of—was playing out of her mind. It was the kind of moment that could send a player spiralling: panic, errors, the whole thing falling apart.

But Raducanu stayed calm. She shook off the rough start, found her game, and cruised into the second round of the Australian Open, beating Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-4, 6-1.

The circumstances weren’t easy. It was late at night, the opponent was hot, and the pressure was on. Still, Raducanu handled it all and walked off with a win that should give her a much-needed shot of confidence after a rocky off-season.

“I feel very happy to have gotten through the match,” she said afterwards. “From the beginning, she was playing so well. All her shots were landing right on the baseline—really tough. I’m proud of how I fought back.”

Raducanu didn’t have much time to settle in. She played in Hobart on Thursday night, her flight to Melbourne was delayed, and she ended up with just one day to adjust and practice before stepping on court. She also had to deal with a late-night slot—her only practice session at Melbourne Park ran from 9:15 to 11 p.m. “I’m a night owl, but not for playing. That’s for ‘Emma time’,” she joked.

She’s been trying to train herself to handle these late matches. “Half the battle is just figuring out how to arrange the day—when to switch on, when to switch off. I’ve tried a few things. Today, I actually felt really good before the match, and it helped that the match before mine didn’t run too long. I didn’t end up on court too late.”

Sawangkaew, also 23 and making her first appearance in a Grand Slam main draw, was the real reason Raducanu struggled early. Sawangkaew’s ranking—196—doesn’t show her true level. She’d been climbing the ranks until an injury put her out for six months last season, just after she cracked the top 100.

She came out swinging, using her heavy topspin forehand to push Raducanu back, rushing the net, and forcing errors with sharp defence. “Honestly, I didn’t feel like I was doing much wrong,” Raducanu admitted.

Still, her serve was off, and her forehand wasn’t clicking. She went down two breaks and seemed in trouble, but suddenly, everything started to work. Her serve came alive at the right moments, and her forehand started to land. Once she found her groove, she ran away with it.

“Today, I felt like I had better control over all my shots than I have in the last few weeks,” she said. “And honestly, all the matches and points I played recently, even the tough ones, helped me today. If I hadn’t played those three matches, I’m not sure I’d have gotten through this one. I’m glad I put myself in those situations.”

Next up, things get tougher. She’ll face Anastasia Potapova, a 24-year-old who switched to playing for Austria this year. Potapova is ranked 55 now, but has been as high as 21 and was once the top junior in the world. If Raducanu wins, she might face No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round—which should give a real sense of where her game stands.

Sabalenka, meanwhile, started her own tournament with an easy win Sunday night, taking out French wildcard Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah 6-4, 6-1. Sabalenka’s been in the last three Melbourne finals, winning two. She’s still the favourite.

With Roger Federer watching from the stands, Sabalenka kept pushing her game forward—she came to the net 22 times. “I’ve been working on serve and volley,” she said. “It’s one thing to do it in practice, but to do it in a match, to be fearless and just go for it, that’s something else. I’m really proud I could show that tennis.”