“I have a better chance to win a trophy”: Novak Djokovic says he has a better chance to defeat Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at Masters 1000s event
Novak Djokovic made a strong return to the court, after he defeated Marin Cilic in straight sets in the second round of the Shanghai Masters. The Serbian will now face Yannick Hanfmann in the third round on Sunday. This was Novak’s first tournament appearance outside Grand Slam events since the Geneva Open in May earlier this year.
Novak Djokovic managed to reach the semifinals of all four Grand Slam events this year, however, failed to make it to the finals of any event. He was defeated by Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the French Open and Wimbledon, whereas, lost to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open.
Novak Djokovic has accepted the fact that it will be difficult to defeat the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at Grand Slam events, given that he is not as physically fit as them. However, he believes he can still compete against the duo at Masters event, which runs over a course of two weeks.
Novak Djokovic on competing against Alcaraz and Sinner at Masters event
Novak Djokovic has hinted that 2026 could be his last year on the tour, as he draws curtains on an illustrious career. The Serb stated that he is still working as hard as he can to defeat the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
“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. 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. The Masters events are played over almost two weeks. That’s where I feel I have a better chance, you know, to win a trophy or to make a significant result,” said Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic has not had the best year on the tour according to his standards. His only title came at the Geneva Open, where he defeated Hubert Hurkacz in the finals. However, he has been to able to come out on top against other top-ranked players like Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev. The Serb has struggled against the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz, who have been dominant in the last two years.
