Djokovic questioned by two tennis legends: one says 25 Grand Slams is impossible, another claims top 10 is at risk

As Djokovic actively prepares for the new season in Dubai, will he surprise everyone in 2026? British veteran Henman and former Russian star Petrova say: no chance!

After reaching the semifinals of all four Grand Slams this year, although Djokovic did not make any Grand Slam finals, some still believe he has a chance to claim his 25th Grand Slam title and move from a joint first place with Federer to sole holder of that honor. Especially in Melbourne, many say no one should underestimate this ten-time Australian Open champion.

However, British tennis legend Henman disagrees, arguing that as long as Sinner and Alcaraz are around, Djokovic has no chance of winning his 25th Grand Slam.

“He might reach another Grand Slam final, but I think he’ll have to rely on others to beat Alcaraz or Sinner first. It will be interesting to see how his ranking and seedings change. Will he face Alcaraz or Sinner in the quarterfinals, or get seeded protection to meet them only in the semifinals?” The former world No. 4 said on a recent Tennis podcast that he doubts Djokovic will secure his 25th Grand Slam because, judging by Djokovic’s current struggles against Sinner and Alcaraz, as long as these two young stars remain, that 25th title is unlikely unless others eliminate them early.

Henman’s pessimism about Djokovic is not due to a lack of skill—after all, reaching all four Grand Slam semifinals in one season shows strong ability—but rather because Djokovic’s age limits his capacity to compete against Sinner and Alcaraz.

“With age comes slower recovery, which is tough. Worse still, Alcaraz and Sinner keep improving and are 14 years younger than Djokovic. That makes things tricky. Honestly, I’m quite confident that unless something unexpected happens, next year’s Melbourne final will most likely be between Alcaraz and Sinner.” Henman believes Djokovic faces a huge challenge competing for Grand Slam titles against opponents more than a decade younger, even ruling him out of the Australian Open final prediction, effectively telling everyone Djokovic’s 25th Grand Slam at Melbourne is unlikely.

Henman’s cold take on Djokovic’s chances is echoed by former Russian star Petrova, who is even more skeptical about the 38-year-old tennis giant.

In an interview with Champion magazine, Petrova directly cited exhaustion as the main reason she doubts Djokovic, saying it’s increasingly difficult for him to cope with such a physically demanding sport.

Unlike Henman, who flatly says Djokovic won’t get his 25th Grand Slam in 2026, Petrova doesn’t dismiss the possibility entirely but acknowledges it would be very difficult. “If a miracle happens, he could win another Grand Slam trophy next year.”

However, Petrova’s doubts mostly focus on Djokovic’s ranking prospects for next year.

The former Russian player believes that with the sport becoming younger and more competitive, Djokovic will likely drop out of the world’s top ten in 2026. “Just look at the ages: most top 10 players are around 23, Zverev and Fritz are 28, and Novak is already 38.”

Petrova dares to say this because she thinks Djokovic’s advancing age makes it harder for him to physically compete with younger players. “As he ages, the physical challenges increase. I can’t think of anyone else facing such a situation; the rest of the top 10 hold their spots purely on merit.”

After Henman and Petrova’s comments were reported, many people felt they were being too blunt. Some fans agreed that it’s indeed tough for Djokovic to reach 25 Grand Slams now but disagreed that he has no chance at all. Others doubted the likelihood of Djokovic falling out of the top 10 next year, joking they’d bet on Petrova facing embarrassment then.

Some even joked at Henman and Petrova, challenging them to make a bet with Djokovic to see if their predictions come true or miss the mark. After all, Djokovic often surprises everyone when heavily underestimated—like at the Paris Olympics, where almost no one expected him to win gold, yet he defied all odds and completed his career Golden Slam!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonriver’s Starry Sky)