Tennis legend John McEnroe has voiced doubts about Novak Djokovic's ability to compete against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open. Despite a commanding 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Spain's Pedro Martinez in his opening match of the 2026 tournament, McEnroe remains sceptical about the 38-year-old Serbian's chances against the top two players in the ATP rankings.
Despite being ranked fourth in the world, Djokovic's potential to overcome Alcaraz and Sinner in the later stages of the competition is uncertain, according to McEnroe. "In his heart of hearts and in my opinion, no," McEnroe said when asked about Djokovic's prospects against the pair.
McEnroe added: "I don't think he can beat both of those guys when he has already had to go through five matches - that's the problem. That's the reality he has talked about."
The former tennis star also questioned why Djokovic continues to compete despite not having won a major title in recent years. He mused: "A lot of people might think, 'Why are you still going at this point, you haven't won in a couple of years and you are so used to winning?' Why not, would be the question?".
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However, McEnroe acknowledged Djokovic's competitive spirit, saying: "In my book, he is No.3 in the world. He made four semis last year and beat Alcaraz here. He must think he can still win this otherwise because he won't play unless he thinks he can win, which is tougher because he doesn't play much."
After suggesting Djokovic might be contemplating retirement, McEnroe reckons the Serbian superstar is finally getting the recognition he's long deserved.
"He was like Ivan Drago [from the Rocky films] with Nadal and Federer, who were so popular, and then along comes Alcaraz and everyone loves him. He [Djokovic] is like, 'Where is my love? I deserve it.' And he does deserve it.
"He has been an unbelievable positive for our game and his record speaks for itself. He has always been extremely intelligent and the other players love him. So strut yourself, Novak, and enjoy every minute of it."
Djokovic's opening round encounter against Martinez marked his first competitive outing since early October 2025, when he secured his 101st career trophy in Athens. He kicked off the new year by pulling out of Adelaide, explaining he wasn't "physically ready to compete".
Tim Henman reckons the physical demands could prove Djokovic's toughest challenge. "When you reflect on his consistency last year in the Slams, he was absolutely brilliant and it took the two best players to defeat him, and he beat Alcaraz here [in Melbourne]," Henman commented.
"I am fascinated to see where his level is at from a tennis point of view, but also a physical point of view, because it's only going to get harder as he gets older, and best of five is challenging.
"You think about all his training routine and nutrition, he has raised the bar, but the challenge is trying to improve. It's very difficult to improve when you are that good and his movement can't be as good.
"If you don't move as well, you probably have to take more risks from the back of the court and play more aggressively."
Djokovic's next opponent at the Australian Open will be Italy's Francesco Maestrelli in Wednesday's second round clash.
