The 2025 season has delivered some incredible tournaments and matches. At the front of it all were the World No.1 and No.2. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner owned the spotlight, taking turns at the Grand Slams. Both set up fierce competition for 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. With the season winding down, can he find a way to stop them?

The “New Two” already handed out season-defining blows to Djokovic. The Italian stunned him at Wimbledon, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals to end Nole’s run of five straight finals. He also outlasted him at Roland Garros with a 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3) victory. Then Alcaraz followed at the US Open, storming into the final after a 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2 semifinal win that halted Nole’s New York dominance. The new generation had arrived strong.

When asked how he plans to challenge them, Novak Djokovic kept it real. He admitted, “I mean, the physicality is logically the biggest factor in best-of-three, rather than best-of-five. But it’s all connected, obviously, with the mental part and the game-wise. If you’re physically not at your hundred percent against these guys, you know, you feel like you’re half a step slower, and that affects the whole game.” And honestly, he’s got a point.

Injuries shadowed nearly all of the Serb’s 2025 campaign against them. Against Alcaraz at the Australian Open quarterfinals, he had torn his hamstring, still grinding out a win, only to retire in the semifinals. At Roland Garros, he faced Sinner while still battling recovery from both the hamstring issue and an eye infection. Then Wimbledon brought another setback. A nasty fall against Flavio Cobolli left him compromised entering the semifinal against Jannik.

He explained it bluntly: “It affects the whole play, the rallies, and different aspects of the encounter. Yeah, that’s what I said after the US Open, because I really felt that playing best-of-five against these guys at the latter stages of the tournament makes it really challenging for me.” After losing to Alcaraz in New York, Djokovic echoed similar sentiments, even admitting that he “ran out of gas after the second set.”

Still, this season marked a revival. After his first winless year since 2005, Novak picked up his 100th career title in Geneva before Roland Garros. He chose to play fewer tournaments, skipping warm-ups ahead of Wimbledon and the US Open. Yet he still powered into the semifinals of all four Slams. Yet, he stayed Top 5 with a 31–10 win-loss record. But against the two stars in their 20s, it’s not easy.

“I feel like I don’t come in as fresh as they do in the semis. That’s okay. I mean, that’s just a biological fact that eventually I have to accept,” Novak Djokovic admitted. “I’m still working my hardest that I possibly can in the circumstances to challenge the guys or to challenge myself primarily, and really see how I can do on all the tournaments that I take part in.”

For him, the Masters events seem like a better stage. Shorter format. Two weeks. A greater shot at titles. That was the plan, at least. But injuries cut into that too this year. His best result came in Miami, where he lost the final to Jakub Mensik. Meanwhile, the top two broke records all year. And Sinner gave his thoughts on marking a unique milestone of surpassing Novak himself.

World No.2 opens up about overtaking Novak Djokovic in Beijing

Jannik Sinner grabbed his second China Open crown on Wednesday, October 1, taking down rising star Learner Tien in the final. One year ago, he missed the chance to defend his title against Carlos Alcaraz, but this time he came back swinging and left with it all. Beijing seems to have become his stage, and Sinner is embracing it.

When asked about stacking up titles in the Chinese capital, the 24-year-old kept it real. “I always say comparing me to Novak, he’s in different league with everything he has achieved in his career. I’m just a normal 24-year-old who tries to play the best tennis possible. I know l’ve won some great titles in my young career, but let’s see how long I can hold it.” Modest words, but the numbers don’t lie: By 24, Sinner owns four Grand Slams and has already logged 65 weeks as World No.1. That’s 12th best all time, ahead of none other than Andy Murray.

Of course, no conversation about Beijing is complete without Novak Djokovic. The Serbian legend has never lost a final at the China Open, dominating the event whenever he makes it that far. Even though Sinner has now beaten him five times since their clash at the 2023 Davis Cup semifinals, he refuses to place himself in the same category. “What Novak, Rafa and Roger did for 15-plus years was amazing. Novak is still here and showing some incredible tennis. So let’s see. But I’m not comparing myself,” said the Italian.

And now the stage shifts to the Shanghai Masters. Sinner returns as the defending champion, while Djokovic looks for redemption after losing to him in last year’s final. Add in the twist that Carlos Alcaraz, who would have been the top seed, is sidelined with an ankle injury from the Japan Open, and the draw just got more dramatic. Will Nole steal the spotlight and chase a fifth Shanghai crown? Tell us what you think in the comments below.