I don't see Djokovic beating Alcaraz and Sinner in consecutive five-set matches

Raquel Bermúdez Rodríguez | 12 Jan 2026 | 11.52

I can't see Djokovic beating Alcaraz and Sinner in consecutive five-set matches. Photo: Getty

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There are many outstanding questions to be resolved in the coming days. Just one week left before the 2026 Australian Open begins, and the questions are starting to surface: Will Jannik Sinner be able to defend his title? Can Carlos Alcaraz cause an upset and win in Melbourne? Which other player could challenge this rivalry?

One of the major questions is the role that Novak Djokovic will play as he arrives at the 2026 Australian Open without playing any previous tournaments. Pat Cash, former Australian player, focuses on Djokovic to analyze what he needs to go far this season in Melbourne.

"He needs a couple of them to fall over, that's the reality," Pat Cash said regarding Novak Djokovic's chances and what he needs in relation to his closest rivals. "I'm really looking forward to seeing how he does. Towards the end of your career, it's crucial to find that perfect balance of training hard enough to withstand two, even three, five-set matches but not overdoing it. Train enough to endure, train hard enough not to get injured," Pat explained, as reported by Tennis365.

The key for Novak Djokovic: finding the balance

"You need to conserve enough energy to not burn yourself out and then not train too much to get injured before playing. When you're younger, you can keep pushing, and even if you get tired, if you play a five-set match, you know you can recover quickly. As you progress in your career, that just fades away, that's the reality. For Novak to keep going is absolutely phenomenal."

Djokovic and his role against Alcaraz and Sinner

"He's always finding solutions to the problems, so it will be very interesting to see how he fares at the Australian Open. Has he played enough matches? Has he trained enough? Is he saving his physicality only for the matches? And if so, will it work? I don't see him beating Alcaraz and Sinner in consecutive five-set matches, and that is his problem. He might reach the semifinals again, but then he is likely to have a problem that is already familiar to him."

Will Djokovic find the solution at the Australian Open?

"Medical experts were saying, 'We don't really know what a 39-year-old player can do over two weeks playing four or five-hour tennis matches in the heat. We just don't know.' As a fan of this aspect, fitness, and bodily aging, I'm fascinated to see how he performs in these long matches. The last two years have shown that he can't maintain the pace, and that's completely natural, but we'll see if Novak finds a solution."