Novak Djokovic might be nearing his forties, but he shows no signs of slowing down in his quest to challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion plays on a limited schedule, but he tends to be the biggest challenge for Sinner and Alcaraz at major events.
Djokovic had an Australian Open to remember as he reached the final of the Grand Slam and notched up a victory over Sinner.
Juan Martin del Potro, a close friend of Djokovic, has now said that he could still have one advantage over the two top players in the world.
Novak Djokovic’s potential advantage over Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Djokovic has beaten Sinner and Alcaraz 10 times on the ATP Tour and del Potro believes he could be buoyed because he’s now playing without pressure.
The Serbian star has won everything possible in tennis and he is now looking to build upon his magical career.
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Speaking to La Nacion, del Potro said: “My friend Nole [Djokovic], if he’s in good form, like he was in Australia, is one of those who can break through that barrier between them.
“Novak has entered that stage of the race where he is to enjoy everything he did, without the pressure of winning everything he plays.
“Obviously, he is more aware than everyone of his physical condition, of how he feels playing tennis, of how strong Jannik and Carlos are.
“But it’s Novak, and his chances go up a bit when he faces them in the best-of-three matches. Knowing him, the only thing that keeps him interested is beating both of them at the same tournament.
“He has achieved everything he planned, including the Olympic Games gold medal, which was in an incredible context.”
Djokovic has only played two tournaments so far this year, at the Australian Open and Indian Wells. Having recently pulled out of the Madrid Open, he is yet to play a clay court event.
Novak Djokovic’s head-to-head record against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
Sinner and Alcaraz might dominate the rest of the ATP Tour, but Djokovic has always managed to perform well against the top two players in the world.
Djokovic and Alcaraz have split their 10 matches equally, which is no mean feat against the current world number two.
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That involves remarkable victories against Alcaraz at the Paris Olympics and in the 2025 Australian Open quarter-finals.
However, Djokovic has lost his last two matches against Alcaraz, which came at the 2025 US Open and in the 2026 Australian Open final.
Sinner, meanwhile, just edges his head-to-head record against Djokovic with six victories from their 11 matches.
Before Djokovic’s stunning five-set victory against Sinner in the Australian Open semi-final, the Italian had won five matches in a row against the Serbian.
Djokovic’s victories against Sinner have also come at Wimbledon, the ATP Finals, and the Monte-Carlo Masters.
