Novak Djokovic's former coach Goran Ivanisevic stated that the 38-year-old remains the only player capable of challenging Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in Grand Slam tournaments. Speaking to Sportklub, Ivanisevic emphasized Djokovic's recent Australian Open final run and mental resilience. He dismissed doubts about Djokovic's ability to win a 25th major title.
Goran Ivanisevic, who coached Novak Djokovic until recently, expressed strong confidence in the Serbian's continued competitiveness at the highest level. In an interview with Sportklub, Ivanisevic pointed to Djokovic's five-set victory over Jannik Sinner to reach the Australian Open final earlier this year, marking his 56th Grand Slam final appearance. 'In Grand Slams, I still think only Novak can beat them, although it’s not easy to defeat both in a day and a half,' Ivanisevic said, referring to Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. He noted Alcaraz's unexpected loss to Sebastian Korda in Miami last season and Sinner's defeats to Djokovic in Australia and Jakub Mensik in Doha. Ivanisevic rejected skepticism from critics, saying the words 'I can’t' and 'impossible' do not exist in Djokovic's vocabulary. 'If I hadn’t been with Novak, maybe I would have said it’s not possible. But because I know him... it’s possible, of course it’s possible,' he added. Djokovic has adopted a selective schedule since 2024, prioritizing majors and recovery. In 2025, he reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slams, retiring injured against Alexander Zverev in Melbourne, losing straight sets to Sinner at the French Open and Wimbledon, and falling to Alcaraz at the US Open. This season, Djokovic holds a 7-2 record, with a fourth-round loss to Jack Draper at Indian Wells, followed by withdrawals from Miami and Monte Carlo. Ivanisevic highlighted Djokovic's third-place world ranking last year despite fewer events and noted his plans to compete through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Djokovic himself affirmed his focus on Slams: 'Slams are one of the biggest reasons why I keep on competing and playing tennis.'
