Novak Djokovic has his sights set firmly on Grand Slam number 25, and is not going to let his ageing body get in the way of his conquest.
After all, he has not been shy about his desire to achieve that ultimate goal, despite the task arguably only getting tougher with the emergence and subsequent dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Whenever asked to speak about his chances of competing, the 39-year-old can range from bullish and hopeful to sheepish at an instant.
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However, having now revealed his off-season plans, there’s reason to believe that Novak Djokovic could be a serious threat for the 2026 Australian Open title.
Novak Djokovic reveals his off-season plans
Speaking with Sky Sports whilst in Qatar watching the F1, he claimed: “I’m taking a short break and trying to reconstruct my machine, so to say, in racing terminology.
“I’ve been getting injured more often than not in the last 18 months, so I’m trying to rebuild my body so the start of the next season will be great and, hopefully, I can keep it up with the best guys.”
It’s clear who he is referring to when he says ‘the best guys’, given the gulf in quality between Alcaraz and Sinner and the rest of the field.
In fact, as if to emphasise that notion even more, the difference in ranking points between the Italian in second and Alexander Zverev in third was an astronomical 6,340.
For reference, that figure alone would be ranked third in the world.
Why Novak Djokovic can win the 2026 Australian Open title
When Djokovic looks ahead to the 2026 season, he will surely be targeting the Australian Open as one of his best chances of winning his 25th major title.
After all, its timing in the calendar offers a great opportunity to spring a surprise on unprepared opponents, perhaps catching them off guard before they have built up momentum.
What pundits have said about Novak Djokovic’s chances of winning a 25th Grand Slam title
Not to mention that he knows better than anyone how to win in Melbourne, with his 10 titles the most in the competition’s history.
Djokovic’s decision to withdraw from the ATP Finals has also afforded him even more rest time, while Alcaraz and Sinner extended their seasons as long as possible after another meeting in the final.
He will be wary of the unrelenting threat of this duo, but the 24-time Grand Slam champion must be quietly confident that, in his freshest state at the start of a new season, he has a golden opportunity to overcome arguably the final hurdle of his career.