McEnroe: Djokovic Wouldn't Play Australian Open Unless He Believes He Can Win 25th Slam

At 38, Djokovic Eyes Record 25th Grand Slam Title – McEnroe Analyzes the High-Stakes Chase

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Arthur Millot

le 16/01/2026 à 17h58

1 min to read

Djokovic Novak McEnroe John

In Melbourne, Novak Djokovic never plays a tournament like any other.

With an unparalleled record (10 titles), he is now chasing a goal that transcends history: becoming the first player to win 25 Grand Slams.

But this time, the context is different. The Serb is 38 years old and time is working against him.

Yet, for John McEnroe, one thing is certain: if Djokovic is there, it's not just to make up the numbers.

“He wouldn’t play if he didn’t think he could win”

Indeed, in an interview shared by Tennis World Italia, the American legend declared:

“He’ll turn 39 in May, winning a Grand Slam isn’t easy at his age, even if he has an incredible record in Australia.

I suspect that if he doesn’t succeed, he might decide to quit. When you’re used to success, it disgusts you not to achieve it anymore, and he hasn’t done so for a few years.

No one knows Novak better than Novak, and I don’t think he’d approach a tournament thinking he couldn’t win it.

But he has more opportunities to beat Jannik and Carlos in best-of-three sets than in best-of-five.”