Jannik Sinner has been dominant in 2026, moving clear of Carlos Alcaraz as the greatest player in men’s tennis today.
The Italian won 27 consecutive matches, picking up titles in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid.
His dominance has reminded many of Novak Djokovic’s legendary run in 2011, where he didn’t lose a match until the French Open semi-finals.
Could a combination of Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Joao Fonseca, and Alex de Minaur beat Jannik Sinner?
He's just too good!
During the latest episode of ‘Nothing Major‘, John Isner, Sam Querrey, and Steve Johnson discussed whether 2026 Sinner would beat 2011 Djokovic.
John Isner backs 2011 Novak Djokovic to defeat 2026 Jannik Sinner
“These hypotheticals are so tough…” said Querrey.
“He won everything up until Roland Garros, lost to [Roger] Federer.”
Novak Djokovic’s 2010/11 winning streak
| Wins | Tournament | Players beaten |
| 1-2 | 2010 Davis Cup | Gilles Simon, Gael Monfils |
| 3-9 | 2011 Australian Open | Marcel Granollers, Ivan Dodig, Viktor Troicki, Nicolas Almagro, Tomas Berdych, Roger Federer, Andy Murray |
| 10-14 | 2011 Dubai Tennis Championships | Michael Llodra, Feliciano Lopez, Florian Mayer, Tomas Berdych, Roger Federer |
| 15-20 | 2011 Indian Wells | Andrey Golubev, Ernests Gulbis, Viktor Troicki, Richard Gasquet, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal |
| 21-26 | 2011 Miami Open | Denis Istomin, James Blake, Viktor Troicki, Kevin Anderson, Mardy Fish, Rafael Nadal |
| 27-29 | 2011 Serbia Open | Adrian Ungur, Blaz Kavcic, Feliciano Lopez |
| 30-34 | 2011 Madrid Open | Kevin Anderson, Guillermo Garcia Lopez, David Ferrer, Thomaz Bellucci, Rafael Nadal |
| 35-39 | 2011 Italian Open | Lukasz Kubot, Stan Wawrinka, Robin Soderling, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal |
| 40-43 | 2011 French Open | Thiemo de Bakker, Victor Hanescu, Juan Martin del Potro, Richard Gasquet |
“But 2026 Djokovic beat 2026 Sinner already this year,” said Isner.
“It’s hard to say, it would just be a war.
“2011 Djokovic is up there with 2006/2007 Federer.”
Johnson was keen to highlight Djokovic’s record against his biggest rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, in 2011.
“2011 Novak 41 match winning streak, first loss was to Roger in the semis of the French,” said Johnson.
“He went 70-6, and he was 10-1 against Rafa and Roger that year.
“It’s Novak.
“I’m going Novak, because of that, because he was beating these guys who were a little tougher,” added Querrey.
“That’s a good point, going 10-1 in a calendar year against Rafa and Roger is a joke,” said Isner.
Querrey shared what it would take for him to back Sinner in the hypothetical dream match.
“No shade on Sinner, Sinner is incredible,” he said.
“If Sinner keeps up this run, wins Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Cincy, and Toronto, we can have this discussion again in August and be like, I don’t know, maybe Sinner.”
Jannik Sinner’s 2026 winning streak
| Wins | Tournament | Players beaten |
| 1-6 | Indian Wells | Dalibor Svrcina, Denis Shapovalov, Joao Fonseca, Learner Tien, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev |
| 7-12 | Miami Open | Damir Dzumhur, Corentin Moutet, Alex Michelsen, Frances Tiafoe, Alexander Zverev, Jiri Lehecka |
| 13-17 | Monte Carlo Masters | Ugo Humbert, Tomas Machac, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz |
| 18-23 | Madrid Open | Benjamin Bonzi, Elmer Moller, Cameron Norrie, Rafael Jodar, Arthur Fils, Alexander Zverev |
| 24-27 | Italian Open | Sebastian Ofner, Alexei Popyrin, Andrea Pellegrino, Andrey Rublev |
“He better have less than four losses, but John makes a good point, 2026 Novak beat 2026 Sinner, so I would like 2011 Novak over 2026 Sinner,” said Johnson.
“I think we agree on that,” added Isner.
The trio rightly pointed out that Djokovic beat Sinner earlier this year at the Australian Open.
But how did the Serb upset the two-time defending champion?
How Novak Djokovic defeated Jannik Sinner in Australia
Djokovic walked on the court as a big underdog against Sinner in the 2026 Australian Open semi-finals.
He had lost to the Italian two years earlier in Melbourne and in the semi-finals of two Grand Slams in 2025.
But the 24-time Grand Slam champion rolled back the years, delivering one of the finest performances of his legendary career.
Djokovic was clinical when it mattered most, while Sinner failed to convert 16 of his 18 break points.
Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner – Match stats
| Stats | Novak Djokovic | Jannik Sinner |
| Aces | 12 | 26 |
| Double faults | 3 | 2 |
| 1st Serve % | 70% | 75% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 71% | 80% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 55% | 55% |
| Break points | 3/8 | 2/18 |
| Total points won | 140 | 152 |
Sinner won 12 more points than Djokovic, but that wasn’t enough, as his title reign in Melbourne came to an end.
Djokovic defeated Sinner in an instant classic, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Will we see another instalment of their rivalry at the second Grand Slam of the year? Only time will tell.
The 2026 French Open begins on Sunday, May 24.
