Australian Open 2026: Guy Forget Reveals the Indispensable Condition to See Djokovic Triumph

As Djokovic Aims for a Historic 25th Grand Slam, a French Legend, Guy Forget, Gives His Analysis on the Serb's Chances.

© AFP

Arthur Millot

le 22/12/2025 à 10h49

2 min to read

Alcaraz Carlos Djokovic Novak Forget Guy Sinner Jannik

Djokovic Facing Age: A Radically Redesigned Preparation

ATP season 2026 opens with an impressive image: Novak Djokovic begins his 24th year on the professional circuit, still driven by the same obsession with victory.

But behind the intact ambition lies a harsher reality: the body no longer responds as it used to.

Guy Forget, former world number 4, affirms this. In an interview with Ubitennis, the Frenchman explains that "brutal" training methods are definitively a thing of the past for Djokovic.

At 38, the Serb can no longer chain extreme loads without paying the price. Now, everything relies on a delicate equation: less intensity, more recovery, and above all, a meticulously managed effort to arrive fresh for the major events.

"He Doesn't Come for a Quarter or Semi-Final": The Intact Mentality

If the body imposes concessions, the mind, however, hasn't changed one bit. It's on this point that Guy Forget is categorical.

"A player like Djokovic doesn't enter a Grand Slam hoping for a quarter or semi-final. He comes to win."

The Real Key to the 25th Grand Slam: Surviving the First 10 Days

The major challenge is no longer played solely with racket in hand. It's played in the shadows, in preventing the "small injuries" that inevitably arise during a tournament as demanding as the Australian Open.

For Guy Forget, the mission is clear: avoid wear and tear before the important matches. Djokovic must accept that victory no longer depends solely on his level of play, but on an alignment of factors.

"He must be convinced that with a bit of luck, he can still get a favorable draw... if he reaches the semi-finals without too much fatigue, he must tell himself that he is capable, in a single match, of perhaps beating Carlos Alcaraz."

In a modern tennis dominated by power and youth, tactical intelligence and experience thus become his best weapons.