After going without a Grand Slam title since his 2023 US Open triumph and openly admitting he has lost some motivation, Novak Djokovic’s future at the top of tennis has come under growing scrutiny. Regardless, the Serbian legend is still chasing a jaw-dropping 11th Australian Open crown and a historic 25th major. But will his body and the competition allow it?

According to former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, Djokovic’s path may depend less on brilliance and more on circumstance. In a recent interview with Tennis 365, Cash suggested that the player who turns 39 in May would likely need misfortune to strike Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, saying he doesn’t see Djokovic beating both men in back-to-back five-set matches.

“He needs two of them to fall over, that’s the reality of it,” Cash said while speaking as an ambassador at the Bank of China Hong Kong Open.

The Australian also pointed to the thin line Djokovic must walk at this stage of his career.

“It’s a fine balance at the end of your career to find where you are training hard enough to be fit enough to last two, even three, five-set matches, but not pushing it too far,” he explained. “So training hard enough to be able to last that, training too hard enough that you don’t get injured.”

The Australian Open has always been one of the toughest tests in tennis, and for years it played perfectly into Novak Djokovic’s strengths. His ability to handle extreme heat and humidity helped him dominate in Melbourne, where he lifted the trophy ten times.

But let’s not forget the fact that this is no longer the same Djokovic from a decade ago. So how would he win, you ask?

“You need to save enough in the tank so that you don’t get worn out and then not overtraining that you get injured before you go in there,” Pat Cash suggested.

He explained that when players are younger, they can push through five-set matches and recover quickly. As careers stretch on, that ability fades. Still, Cash called it “absolutely phenomenal” that Djokovic is still competing at this level.

Throughout his long career, things have not always gone smoothly for Novak Djokovic. Yet he has repeatedly found ways to adapt and remain at the top of the sport. Now, his biggest challenge is age, making recovery and rehabilitation more important than ever.

“He’s always coming up with solutions to problems, so it will be really interesting to see how he goes at the Australian Open,” Cash said. Cash also questioned whether the world ranked 4 has spent enough time competing leading into the tournament.

Interestingly, the 24-time Grand Slam champion had been set to play the Adelaide International but pulled out, saying he was not in perfect condition. That prompted Cash to question, “Has he played enough matches? Has he trained hard enough? Is he saving his body just for the matches? And if so, will that work?”

Finally in the end, he added that he does not see Novak Djokovic beating both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in back-to-back five-set matches, calling that the main hurdle. However, while ‘Sincaraz’ has dominated men’s tennis in recent years, that does not mean Djokovic has nothing left to offer.

The road gets steeper for Novak Djokovic

Age has hardly slowed Novak Djokovic. At 38, he sent a powerful message at Wimbledon by dismantling 23-year-old Flavio Cobolli, showing that time alone is not enough to stop him.

Djokovic has long dominated younger rivals, including Jannik Sinner early in their rivalry. He beat the Italian in Monte Carlo in 2021, stormed back from two sets down at Wimbledon in 2022, and controlled their 2023 Wimbledon semifinal. But the balance has started to change.

The 24-year-old broke through at the 2023 ATP Finals group stage, then defeated Djokovic again in the Davis Cup semifinals. He followed that with strong wins at the 2024 Australian Open and the Shanghai final, before sweeping past Djokovic at Roland Garros and then Wimbledon in 2025. Sinner has now won five of their last eight completed matches.

Top Stories

Aryna Sabalenka Issues Blunt Response on Kissing Gesture and Handshake Snub by Rival in Brisbane

Iga Swiatek Provides Major Health Update After Facing Shocking Losses Before Australian Open

Player Rushes Mid-Match After Ball Kid Suffers Poorly Due to Grueling Australian Open Conditions

Sloane Stephens Raises Hopes for 2026 After First Australian Open Performance

Former World No. 3 Milos Raonic Hangs His Racket After 2 Decades With an Emotional Message

Even so, the biggest question is whether Djokovic can still endure four- and five-hour battles, especially in extreme heat. If he is pulled into a physical war, can he maintain his level and find a way to win? Just last season, Nole himself admitted it’s hard against the likes of Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Pat Cash believes Djokovic’s situation is pushing into unknown territory. He noted, “It’s a sort of a new, it’s slightly new field where he could go to every sports science person in the world. The medics would say, we don’t really know what a 39-year-old can do over two weeks of playing in a four and five hour tennis matches in heat. We just don’t know.”

Cash said that experts are eager to see what Djokovic discovers through experience. Fascinated by fitness and aging, he wants to observe what Djokovic tries, what works, and how his body responds in long matches.

Cash finished by saying Novak Djokovic is operating in territory where most players no longer can. The past couple of years suggest it has become harder to back up deep runs, which he called natural, but he remains intrigued to see whether Djokovic can once again find a solution.