Novak Djokovic says Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have 'given him tasks' as he opens up on being a 'different player' at Grand Slams
Published 24/05/2026 at 07:24 GMT+1
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Novak Djokovic is targeting success at the French Open, despite his lack of time on the court this season, insisting he is ”a different player once I'm coming into Grand Slams”.
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The Serbian has featured in just three tournaments this year, while he has played only one match on clay, losing against Dino Prizmic in the second round of the Italian Open.
However, as he continues to hunt down a record 25th major, the 39-year-old has the belief that he can go all the way at Roland-Garros over the next two weeks, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
”Heading to Roland-Garros this year, my biggest motivation is, of course, always winning the trophy, trying to be the best I can be every single match, improve as I progress in the tournament,” Djokovic told TNT Sports.
”I haven't played many matches this year, particularly on clay - only one - I know that. But I also know that I'm a different player once I'm coming into Grand Slams, so I look forward to it.”
Djokovic’s second tournament of the season also ended in disappointment, beaten in the last 16 at Indian Wells by Jack Draper, but he kicked off his year with a run to the final of the Australian Open, where he was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz.
The 3-1 defeat against the Spaniard has extended Djokovic’s wait for what is proving to be an elusive 25th Grand Slam tournament victory, with his 24th coming at the US Open in 2023.
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The nine majors since have all been won by either Alcaraz or current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, with the pair’s dominance presenting a significant obstacle to Djokovic in his bid for the record.
Djokovic, who turned 39 on Friday, stumbled at the semi-final stage of all four of last season’s majors, suggesting his time may have passed.
However, his semi-final victory over Sinner in Melbourne in January and Alcaraz’s injury-enforced absence from Roland-Garros and Wimbledon this summer provide reason for optimism.
”It would mean a lot, of course,” Djokovic said when discussing another Grand Slam victory. ”That's the goal, that's the aim. We're working towards that and let's see what happens.”
Despite Sinner and Alcaraz’s impressive denial of a 25th major and the lessons the pair have taught Djokovic, the main challenge for the Serbian is dealing with the physical issues that come from being almost 15 years older than the world No. 1.
”Well, my approach to competition and how I prepare my body has changed because I'm not getting any younger,” he said.
”I have more challenges with the body, and I have to address those, and there's always something that appears.
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”So I have to primarily think about myself, my body, and how I perfect my game, and once I'm on the court, how can I get the most out of myself in a tactical sense to be able to win against the guy across the net.
”Of course, Jannik and Carlos are the dominant force of men's tennis in the last couple of years, and I do think about our match-ups a lot, and when I get the chance, I always try to learn something new about myself about going head-to-head with these guys.
”I've played quite a few matches against them in the last two years, so I've had plenty of opportunities to really match myself against them at a big stage.”
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He continued: ”The rivalries that I've developed with both Jannik and Carlos are great, and the matches I have against them on the biggest stage, particularly the ones in the last two years, have taught me a lot and given me tasks.
”I think about my game and what needs to be done on the practice court to get better, and to be honest, the matches against the best players in the world, experiencing in the later stages of the biggest tournaments in the world, is one of the greatest inspirations for me to continue competing.”
While the most recent of Djokovic’s three French Open triumphs came in 2023, he has tasted glory at Roland-Garros since then, ending his long wait for Olympic gold with victory at the Paris Games in 2024.
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”I would probably stand that one out as the primary one for me,” Djokovic admitted, when reflecting on memories from the French capital.
”The most beautiful emotion I experienced on the tennis court was here in the Roland-Garros Centre Court.”
Djokovic, who will be the third seed at the tournament behind Sinner and Alexander Zverev, faces a tricky opening match against big-server Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
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