Novak Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slams, more than anyone else in the history of men’s tennis.
He is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, having set a record that will take some beating.
But who is most likely to challenge Djokovic’s record?
Who is your early shout to win the men’s Wimbledon title?
Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka has now made his pick between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Stan Wawrinka believes Carlos Alcaraz is more likely to break Novak Djokovic’s major record than Jannik Sinner
During an interview posted on the ‘First&Red‘ YouTube channel, Wawrinka was asked whether he believes Alcaraz or Sinner can challenge Djokovic’s record.
“Chasing? Yes,” he said.
“They are already on the road trying to do it. They are young also, but I think until they get closer to him, it’s tough to say.
Race to break Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam record
- Novak Djokovic – 24
- Carlos Alcaraz – 7
- Jannik Sinner – 4
“In tennis, if you live in the moment and see what they are doing now, you are going to say, yeah, for sure, because they are winning everything.
“But who knows what is going to happen in two, three, four, five years, and what was impressive with the big four: Novak [Djokovic], Rafa [Nadal], Roger [Federer], and Andy [Murray] is that they last for 15-20 years at the top of the game.”
Wawrinka was then asked to choose who he thinks is most likely to break Djokovic’s record between Alcaraz and Sinner.
“It’s tough to say, because, of course, if you look now, Alcaraz is injured, you don’t know when he’s going to come back; it’s already two Slams he’s missing. But if I had to bet, I would say Alcaraz,” he said.
The Swiss was pushed for an explanation.
“Just because you asked me to choose one of the two!” said Wawrinka.
“I think at the end of the day, that’s the beauty of what they’ve been achieving for a few years now.
“They are at the top of the game, much better than the rest of the players.
“When they play each other, it’s the match that you want to watch, because they have different styles, different games; that’s what makes it special.”
Winning nine of the last 10 Grand Slams, Alcaraz and Sinner have established themselves as the best players on the ATP Tour.
Last 10 men’s singles Grand Slam finals
| Grand Slam final | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2024 Australian Open | Jannik Sinner | Daniil Medvedev | 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2024 French Open | Carlos Alcaraz | Alexander Zverev | 3-6, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 |
| 2024 Wimbledon | Carlos Alcaraz | Novak Djokovic | 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 |
| 2024 US Open | Jannik Sinner | Taylor Fritz | 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 |
| 2025 Australian Open | Jannik Sinner | Alexander Zverev | 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 |
| 2025 French Open | Carlos Alcaraz | Jannik Sinner | 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 |
| 2025 Wimbledon | Jannik Sinner | Carlos Alcaraz | 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2025 US Open | Carlos Alcaraz | Jannik Sinner | 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 |
| 2026 Australian Open | Carlos Alcaraz | Novak Djokovic | 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 |
| 2026 French Open | Alexander Zverev | Flavio Cobolli | 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 |
Alcaraz now has seven Grand Slams to his name, while Sinner has four.
The Spaniard is also over a year younger than Sinner, making his tally all-the-more impressive.
However, as Wawrinka rightly pointed out, it’s unknown when and where Alcaraz will return to action, having missed Roland Garros and Wimbledon due to injury.
It may take him time to return to full fitness and sharpness, leaving Sinner as the favourite for Wimbledon and the US Open.
If the world number one can do what he couldn’t in Paris and win Wimbledon and the US Open as the favourite, he will move to within one major title of Alcaraz.
The reality is, though, that Alcaraz and Sinner both have a long way to go before they can even begin thinking about breaking Djokovic’s record.
If Alcaraz returned at January’s Australian Open, he could win four consecutive Calendar Grand Slams and would still trail the Serbian legend.
The world number one and two have a mountain to climb if they want to break Djokovic’s record and take his place as the greatest player of all time…
Stan Wawrinka claims Novak Djokovic is ‘by far’ the greatest player of all time
Wawrinka believes Djokovic is the greatest tennis player of all time.
“At the end of the day, the best player with all the records is Novak Djokovic, by far,” he said.
“He’s still playing; he’s still number three or four in the world; he’s still making finals at the Australian Open.
“He’s shown for so many years that he finds a way to beat all the records and win everything possible in tennis.”
Djokovic reached the Australian Open final this year and currently sits eighth in the world rankings.
The Serb is expected to return at the Wimbledon Championships, which begin on Monday, June 29.
