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Djokovic Downplays Record Chase as He Sets Australian Open Start

He enters with limited recent play, insisting he still feels capable of beating anyone.

Overview

  • Novak Djokovic said talk of a 25th Grand Slam will not burden him, emphasizing appreciation for his existing 24 majors.
  • He acknowledged being "missing a little bit of juice" in his legs after withdrawing from Adelaide and has not played a tour match since his Athens title in November.
  • The 10-time Melbourne champion opens on Monday against No. 71 Pedro Martinez as the fourth seed, drawn in the same half as top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz.
  • Djokovic called Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz the current benchmark but maintained that, when healthy, he believes he can beat anybody.
  • He dismissed retirement speculation, cited the competitive adrenaline as motivation, logged a warm-up win over Frances Tiafoe, and confirmed he recently left the PTPA.