Patrick McEnroe doesn’t think Novak Djokovic will be a pro tennis player in 2026 but also doesn’t agree with those claiming that the Serb is definitely done and that he won’t be a Grand Slam contender anymore.
After a very dominant 2023 season that saw the Serb make all four Slam finals and land three Majors, the 37-year-old went in 2024 without a single Slam won in a season for the first time in seven years. And not only that the current world No. 4 didn’t win any Majors this year, but he also didn’t stand a chance in his Australian Open semifinal against Jannik Sinner and the Wimbledon final versus Carlos Alcaraz, respectively.
But even though it hasn’t been the best of the seasons for Djokovic, he still managed to secure two major things – he finally became an Olympic gold medalist and he is also guaranteed to finish with the all-time Grand Slam record after Rafael Nadal confirmed his retirement.
With everything that has happened in 2024, there have been some doubts thrown at the record 24-time Grand Slam champion. However, the 37-year-old laid to rest rumors of him potentially retiring after this season.
“I think this [next year] will be his last year. It’s gotta be very tough to win more majors. If the Australian Open starts tomorrow, he is the third favorite. That’s pretty solid. Rafa would have come back. Rafa wanted to play more and so did Federer. They certainly didn’t think they had to win but they wanted to. I think Novak would be the same. He is obviously still in the mix in a big way. There’s no doubt he can win the Australian Open. He won the Olympics on clay, which was amazing. Yes, he can win one or two more… Wimbledon obviously. There’s still not that many great grass-court players,” McEnroe said on Tennis Channel’s Inside-In podcast.
Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner© Novak Djokovic/Instagram – Fair Use
McEnroe on if Djokovic can compete against Sinner and Alcaraz
After becoming a Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open, the Italian also won his second Major at this past US Open. On the other side, the Spaniard improved to four Slams following back-to-back triumphs at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Following a three-set loss to Alcaraz in the final at The Championships, even Djokovic himself admitted that those two were ahead of him at the moment. And now, the Italian and the Spaniard are widely regarded as the two top favorites for Slam titles next year.
Addressing that, McEnroe acknowledges the two youngsters are in their own league now but also warns that the Serb can’t be written off.
“Sinner, I think will be dangerous on every surface as we have seen him winning two hard-court majors. Those two guys (Sinner and Alcaraz) have separated themselves. Novak knows in a big spot he can still be there. As long as he thinks he has got a shot, I believe he will play. I predicted he wouldn’t win a major this year, people thought I was crazy. But he did win the Olympics. I think he was really thinking about trying to win that gold medal and, incredibly, he did it,” the American explained.
Novak Djokovic© Novak Djokovic/Instagram – Fair Use
What Djokovic had to say about his Slam future and calls to retire?
Although the Serb has achieved his biggest goals and secured the biggest records and basically there is no need for him to keep playing, he doesn’t walk to walk away from pro tennis just yet because he feels he can still do more great things.
“Deep down, I still feel like I have a few more Grand Slams to win. That’s what drives me to keep going, to feel like I can still do it, and to play the Davis Cup for Serbia. Tennis is still my biggest voice for sharing the messages that interest me the most. I still enjoy the process and everything it gives me,” Djokovic told La Nacion earlier this month.
Also, the 37-year-old very directly responded to calls that he should retire – telling that there is no way that will happen in the near future.
“Maybe some people think I should retire with the Olympic gold, on a high. Others, on the contrary, think I should keep going as long as I’m a candidate for the Grand Slams. I’m leaning towards the latter. Maybe I’ll change my mind soon, but now I feel like I want to keep going. I feel sorry for those who want me to retire, but I still have some time left,” he said.
Meanwhile, Djokovic last played at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh where he lost to Jannik Sinner in the semifinal before beating Rafael Nadal for third place.
This week, Djokovic is not competing at the Paris Masters and there have been rumors indicating that he will also skip the ATP Finals.